Her Story
by shingekinolife
Summary: Eren's older (biological) sister, Taryn, joins her little brother in the Scouting Legion, proudly donning the Wings of Freedom while keeping an eye on him. She gets more than she bargains for when a secret comes to surface, and a pair of icy blue eyes catch her attention. (Pairings: eventual ES/OC, EY/MA, and other pairings) - Rated M for language, violence and sexual scenes.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, violence, and sexual scenes (eventually).

 **A/N:** This is my first SnK fanfic, and I'm super excited because I love this whole concept so much! I appreciate any suggestions and constructive criticisms you guys might have for the story. I'll try to update as often as I can. Welp, I hope you enjoy it!

 **Updated A/N:** I re-uploaded this chapter for a continuation issue and to include line breaks! The continuation thing is not really important (I changed like _one_ sentence), but it was bothering me a bit. For those who haven't seen the previous version of this chapter, you really didn't miss out on anything.

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter One: Their Beginnings

"… _In the end,_

 _As we fade into the night,_

 _Who will tell the story of your life,_

 _And who will remember your last goodbye,_

 _'Cause it's the end and I'm not afraid to die…"_

 _(In the End- Black Veil Brides)_

* * *

"Good morning Mr. Kane!"

A balding man of fifty years old looked up from the books he was arranging and caught sight of a mass of curly, black hair run past him.

"Well, good morning to you as well, Taryn," he chuckled. He watched as the fourteen-year old girl walked confidently through his bookstore with a familiarity that spoke to the many hours she spent amongst the book-laden walls.

"Anything you're looking for in particular, today?" he asked, sliding his spectacles up his nose for the tenth time that morning.

Taryn shook her head, running her fingers along the spines of some older books that were lined up on the shelf before her. "I just want to read something new," she said.

"My dear child, you've read almost every book I have in this store!" Mr. Kane exclaimed with a laugh. Taryn sighed in defeat and plopped down on the wooden floor, placing her face in her hands. Mr. Kane felt sorry for the child. She had an imagination that was unrivaled and a desperate thirst to constantly learn. The old shopkeeper rubbed his chin thoughtfully before walking over to a room in the back of his store.

He reappeared a few minutes later, a package clutched in his hand. Taryn looked at the bundle curiously. Whatever the object was, it was covered with a dusty, red cloth, obscuring any detail from her eyes. Mr. Kane walked over to Taryn and sat on the floor next to her. He placed the bundle gently in her lap, not saying a word.

Taryn looked up at the old man, her eyes burning with curiosity. With a small smile, Mr. Kane nodded his head, ever so slightly, giving her permission to unwrap the cloth. Taryn did so very carefully, so as to not accidently destroy whatever was in the center of the cloth. Finally, she pried the last layer of cloth away and found herself staring at a small book. It was tiny enough to be held in just one hand. She flipped the book around in her hand, admiring the intricate gold designs that ran across its spine.

"Open it," Mr. Kane said softly.

Taryn looked up at him, excitement flowing over her features. She slowly opened the book, flipping to a random page. The paper was old and felt brittle under her fingers. It was covered in vivid illustrations and perfectly written letters.

"What is this?" she murmured, tracing her finger over a particularly attractive drawing of what seemed to be a wide expanse of water- water that never ended.

"It's called the ocean. Most of the world outside the wall is covered in it," he replied, a small smile spread on his face at her wonder.

"The outside world?" Taryn gasped. "Aren't books like this banned, Mr. Kane?"

The old shopkeeper nodded sadly.

"I'm trusting you to keep it now, Taryn. You're a smart girl. Make use of this book and explore the outside world. Don't be caged in these walls forever. Don't let the titans keep you from living a good life. Make sure to keep it hidden. Don't let anyone know about it," he said.

She nodded enthusiastically before a thoughtful expression crossed her features.

"Can I show Eren, Mikasa and Armin?"

Mr. Kane chuckled.

"Yes you may. But make sure that they keep it a secret as well. I don't have to tell you about the amount of trouble you kids can get in for having this."

Taryn grinned widely and gingerly wrapped the book up in the red cloth before hugging him tightly. Mr. Kane seemed surprised at first, but then a gentle smile lit up his face and he patted the young girl on the back.

Suddenly, a flash of light temporarily illuminated the shop and a loud "crack" sounded outside, shaking the ground on which they were standing. Taryn nearly lost her balance, but Mr. Kane caught the girl's arm, steadying her.

"What was that?" Taryn asked feeling very confused.

"It can't be," Mr. Kane muttered under his breath. The two walked outside onto the cobblestone street and looked around. People were all turned in one direction- they were staring at the wall and gasping.

Taryn followed their gaze and could not believe her eyes.

A titan. A sixty-meter titan was peering over the wall, scowling at the city in front of him. Her heart sped up. The titan had no skin and steam was issuing out from his body. He drew his leg back and kicked a hole in the main gate. The blast was enough to knock Taryn off of her feet even though she was standing far away from the wall.

Taryn tumbled down the cobblestone street, scraping up her knees pretty badly. She also felt some sore spots on her rib cage where she was sure to develop bruises by the next day.

"T-Taryn!" she heard Mr. Kane call her name. She got onto her feet again and turned around to see Mr. Kane lying down, a long gash running down his arm from some spare debris that had hit him.

"Mr. Kane!" she yelped and ran over to his side. He was in pain, closing his eyes against tears. Blood trickled down his arm.

"Don't worry about me- go and find your family!" he groaned. She nodded, tears blurring her vision. She knew she had to leave, but her feet were reluctant.

"Go, my child!" he yelled again. Taryn turned around and began running. She didn't look back.

Taryn knew she had to find her family and run. That was her goal. She had to get her family. If anything happened to any of them, she would never forgive herself. She silently thanked the fact that her father was on a business trip out of the city- that was one less person for her to worry about. As she ran down the streets, she noticed a huge cloud of smoke issuing from- from the place where her house was!

 _Oh no. Oh no. Oh no,_ was the mantra running through her head. She immediately began praying to any and every deity out there- praying that her family was safe.

As she rounded the corner, she couldn't help but gasp. A huge pile of rubble now sat in the place where her home used to be. Tears ran freely down her face.

Before she could start sobbing, she heard loud footsteps coming from in front of her. A huge figure loomed not far before her.

"A titan," she whispered. It was easily a fifteen-meter class, sporting blond hair, no clothes and a huge morbid smile, revealing two rows of menacing, yellow teeth.

"Mom!" a shriek startled her from her trance. She peered more closely at that pile of rubble and noticed two small figures tugging on something from under the destruction.

"Oh my goodness. Eren! Mikasa!" she screamed. Completely disregarding the hungry titan coming closer to them, Taryn sprinted over to the two ten-year old children. What were they trying to pull out from under the wreckage?

"Mom," she whispered meekly, finally recognizing the figure. Taryn's mother lay pinned underneath the debris, the bottom half of her body broken.

"Taryn!" her mother cried out. Taryn rushed to her mom's side and stroked a few strands of hair out from her eyes.

"Mom, I'll help you!" Taryn began shifting around some rocks.

Her mother caught her arm and stared straight into Taryn's brown eyes. "No. You need to take Eren and Mikasa and run. You need to live!" she sobbed.

"But I can't leave you…" Taryn whispered.

Carla Yeager shook her head. "Go, my love," she murmured. Taryn remained rooted her spot, unable to move. Her little brother, Eren, was crying next to her, attempting to lift the wreckage off of their mother. But he was too little.

The footsteps of the titan got louder as he wandered closer to them. But then, another sound ripped through the air. It was the sound of someone's 3D Maneuvering Gear.

"Mr. Hannes!" Taryn exclaimed when she caught sight of the soldier. She watched as he ran towards the titan, fury overcoming his features. She felt hopeful. If Mr. Hannes could kill the titan, then he could help her save her mother. Unfortunately, life wasn't always fair like that.

Mr. Hannes suddenly stopped when he was a little ways away from the titan. It's shadow loomed over him, blocking the sun from his view. She could see all the color drain from the soldier's face as he properly grasped the situation. He had lost all his courage. No one had fought a titan in the walls for over a hundred years. He did not know how to handle this. With a yelp of fear, Mr. Hannes turned around and began sprinting back in their direction.

"Save my children!" Mrs. Yeager cried.

Mr. Hannes quickly scooped Mikasa in one arm and threw Eren over his shoulder. He ran past Taryn, eyes filled with panic.

"Follow me!" he barked to Taryn. Taryn's eyes widened with fear. She couldn't leave her mother, could she? Her mother was so afraid-so vulnerable. But at that moment, she realized that there was no use in trying to save her mother. It would be fighting a battle that she had lost a long time ago.

"I love you, mom," Taryn murmured, kissing her mother on the forehead.

"I love you too," she whispered. She gently wiped away a tear from her daughter's cheek and stared in to her eyes- those warm, brown eyes that only Taryn had inherited from her. Eren had his father's startlingly teal-green eyes.

"Take care of your brother and Mikasa. Don't ever leave their side." She sniffled, feeling fear threatening to overwhelm her. "Now go and don't look back, my love." Carla Yeager reluctantly pulled her hand away from her daughter's face. She wasn't just letting go of her daughter.

She was letting go of her life- of her everything.

Taryn turned and sprinted off. Eren was hitting and kicking Mr. Hannes, attempting to run off and save his mother. Luckily, Mr. Hannes was pretty strong and kept a good grip on both Mikasa and Eren.

Carla Yeager covered her mouth with her hand, her face slick with tears.

" _Don't leave me,"_ she cried, her voice muffled by her hand.

Unable to stop herself from doing so, Taryn looked behind her and watched in horror as the titan rooted through the rubble, finally finder her mother and lifting her up into the air. It had a tight grasp on her, smiling down at her. Using both of its hands, it wrenched her mother apart, breaking her body. Then, it raised her up to its mouth and bit down, spraying blood everywhere.

Taryn felt her world freeze.

She wasn't sure if she could keep running. Her mother- the woman whom she loved, who she looked up to, was gone…eaten by a monstrosity. In the background, she could hear Eren's muted yells of fury and grief. It was her little brother's voice that pulled her back into reality. Her resolve hardened.

 _I have to keep living for Eren and Mikasa,_ she told herself, wiping away stray tears that found themselves on her cheeks.

It took a while, but finally, Mr. Hannes stopped running and set the two children down. Taryn stood behind him, watching them. Mikasa was silently watching Eren. Taryn knew that Mikasa had some sort of attachment to Eren, ever since he had rescued her from some men who had intended on doing terrible things to her. Taryn followed Mikasa's gaze and studied her little brother. Eren's eyes held so much anger and rage.

Eren would never be the same again. He wouldn't be the little happy boy from a few years ago, she thought sadly.

She reflected back on those times.

 _An eight-year-old boy crept up quietly behind a girl and her blonde haired friend, ready to scare them. The two were so lost in their own world, reading books and telling each other stories- speculating about the outside world._

 _"_ _ARGHHH" Eren yelled, pouncing on his older sister and pulling on her long, black curls._

 _"_ _Eren!" she yelped as she fell back on the grass, pinning her little brother beneath her. Eren laughed, always happy to bother his older sister._

 _Taryn Yeager growled at her little brother, flipping over and tickling his armpits, watching him giggle helplessly._

 _"_ _You'd better not do that again!" she warned him, but Eren saw his sister's lips twitch into a small smile. He just nodded in between giggles._

 _"_ _What are you guys doing?" Eren asked curiously, settling himself in his sister's lap. She ran her hand through his thick, brown hair, marveling at how soft and tame it was as compared to her unruly, nest-like hair. She wouldn't have been surprised if some birds had decided to make their home in her hair._

 _"_ _We're talking about the outside world!" chimed Armin, Taryn and Eren's blonde haired friend._

 _"_ _Whoa," Eren gasped. He looked at his sister expectantly._

 _"_ _You want to hear some of the stories?" she asked. He nodded quickly. "Well, to start off, there are forests that are larger than our entire city! There are also strange animals that have spots- they're called_ cheetahs. _"_

 _"_ _Why are the animals called 'cheaters'?" Eren asked in confusion._

 _"_ _Not cheaters, silly!" Armin giggled. "_ Cheet-ahs!"

 _"_ _Ohhhhh."_

 _Taryn rolled her eyes at her little brother. "Anyways," she continued, "…cheetahs are basically just really big cats. They're bigger than me!"_

 _"_ _That's not possible!" Eren squealed, his teal-green eyes filled with interest._

 _"_ _And do you know what they like to eat?" Taryn asked solemnly, lowering her voice to a whisper._

 _Eren shook his head. Taryn suddenly pounced on her little brother, tickling him and pretending to bite him._

 _"_ _MEAT!" Eren squealed in between giggles. Armin watched his two friends rolling around on the grass and decided to join in, jumping on Taryn's back. The three children lay laughing breathlessly on the ground, hoping that the happy day would never end._

* * *

 **[5 years later]**

Taryn, Mikasa, Armin and Eren stood stiffly in line, waiting for instructions from their training commander. Taryn looked at her brother who was standing next to her, his face completely devoid of any emotion. He stood straight, every muscle of his screaming of his resolve to wholly annihilate every titan out there. She sighed sadly.

Eren had been resolute in joining the Military. Mikasa followed him, out of loyalty and her personal mission in life to make sure that he didn't die. Armin joined because he could not stand the fact that the Titans had taken away his grandfather, plus he wanted to join his friends. Taryn joined in order to keep an eye on all three, following her mother's last instructions.

Taryn had always been a quick-witted and very intelligent person. She relied on her brain more than her strength, unlike her little brother, but she wasn't sure how far her intelligence would get her in the Military.

Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Taryn lay tossing and turning on her bunk. She was having the most vivid dream ever.

 _Her father, Mr. Yeager, stood over her, tears streaming down his face. Eren lay next to her, unconscious. A small bead of blood dripped from the place on his arm where their father had injected him with something._

 _"_ _You and Eren can fix this, Taryn," her father whispered. He raised another needle in front of him, flicking the injection a few times, allowing the liquid inside to mix and settle._

 _"_ _Dad, don't do this!" Taryn felt herself yell._

 _"_ _My darling girl, you won't remember any of this afterwards. Just try your hardest to remember that Eren needs to use that key…" he pointed to the golden key now hung around her brother's neck, "…to get to the basement. There, you guys will learn what you need to know."_

 _He held her down and she felt a sharp pain as he stabbed the injection into her arm as well._

Taryn woke up with a start. She sat up and looked wildly around the bunker. Her heart was racing and she felt sweat drip down her neck. Her father wasn't here. She didn't remember seeing him since he had left for a job before the Colossal Titan had attacked the city. But why did the dream seem so real? So vivid?

She lifted her shirtsleeve and studied her arm, almost expecting to see a small scar from the needle prick. But just like she suspected, there was nothing but the smooth span of her tanned skin, completely unblemished. Taryn shook her head. This wasn't the first time she had had the dream, but it was the first time the basement had been mentioned.

"Whatever," she muttered to herself, lying back down and staring at the ceiling.

All of the other girls were sleeping peacefully. Sasha Blaus was cuddling a potato and drooling ever so slightly. Annie Leonhart looked as menacing in sleep as she did when she was awake. Mikasa was quite fitful in her sleep as well, muttering things every once in a while. Taryn managed to catch one word- "Eren". She sighed. Of course, Mikasa was dreaming and worrying about her brother. Sometimes, Taryn felt that Mikasa took better care of Eren than she, as his biological sister, did.

Daylight broke rather quickly, not allowing Taryn to go back to sleep. She got out of bed and changed into her uniform. She liked wearing a plain black shirt that had a v-shaped neckline beneath her brown uniform jacket, enjoying the way it contrasted with the crisp white pants they were supposed to wear.

Taryn snuck out of the bunks, grabbing a book of hers on the way out, and walked over to the food hall. She snagged a glass of juice and sat herself down at one of the tables, contentedly reading. It was one of the books they had received in their class studies at the Military, explaining whatever was known about titans. Even though she had read it more than enough times (Taryn had practically memorized it at this point), she still enjoyed looking at the drawings of the titans. While she hated the titans for killing her mother, destroying her life and turning her little brother into a person filled with unquenchable rage, she still felt absolutely entranced by them. They were very interesting to study- but she would never say that out loud. She felt like a freak, a traitor, for being fascinated by them.

Someone moved besides her, plopping down on the bench to join her. Taryn looked up from the book and caught sight of Eren.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked her. Taryn noticed the dark smudges beneath Eren's eyes.

"I had a weird dream. What's your excuse?" she asked, nodding at his dark circles. He swiped her juice and took a sip from it.

"Same," Eren muttered, wiping his mouth on his forearm.

"Really? What did you dream about?" Taryn asked curiously.

Eren studied her for a few seconds. "I don't know…it was really weird, Taryn."

Taryn smiled. "You can tell me, Eren. It doesn't matter how weird it is. I can bet you that it's not as weird as mine."

Eren smirked at his sister. "Sure, we'll see. Anyways, in my dream, I saw dad and h-"

"Wait! I had a dream about dad too!" Taryn exclaimed, interrupting Eren. Eren stared at her in surprise. "Keep going! Let's see if we dreamed the same thing!"

Eren nodded slowly and continued. "…Well, dad was standing above me…wait, and you were there too actually! He said something about 'answers in the basement' and then injected me with a needle full of some weird liquid. Then I woke up."

Taryn couldn't believe it.

"Eren…I had the exact same dream. Except, I was still awake after you passed out, and dad injected me with something too. He also said that we could fix something…I'm not sure what though. AND he told me to remind you about the basement as well."

The two siblings were astounded.

"These dreams can't be true…we never saw dad after mom-" Eren stopped abruptly and Taryn watched him clench his fist tightly. "…after the titans attacked," he finished, gritting his teeth. Taryn put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close to her. Even though he was fifteen years old, she still saw him as a little boy who needed love and comforting.

"Hey, listen. We're graduating today! We get to see who was selected to be part of the top ten of the 104th training squad!"

Eren shrugged. Being able to join the Military Police didn't mean anything to him. Taryn knew that he had his heart set on joining the Survey Corps. She did as well. After all, Taryn was the one mostly responsible for drilling it into his head when he was a child. She would tell him wild stories of what the Survey Corps probably experienced when they went out into the world. That, plus his new motivation to kill the creatures responsible for their mom's death, was enough to help cement the idea of the Survey Corps in his mind. He wasn't afraid of death.

"We all know who's going to be part of the top ten," said a voice from behind them. Eren and Taryn turned around to see Jean Kirstein, one of the first cadets awake. He sat down on the other side of Taryn and smirked. She rolled her eyes. Jean was so full of self-confidence, but even she had to admit that he was very skilled when it came to killing titans- or at least the fake titans they had used so far.

"Even if you don't get in the top ten, you're still really good at fighting, Eren!" chirped Marco, another cadet who was standing behind Jean. He was probably the only one who could bear being friends with Jean.

Jean snorted.

"Um, thanks, Marco," Eren mumbled. Taryn watched as Armin seated himself directly across from herself while Mikasa silently slid into the open seat next to Eren. Jean saw this too and he immediately turned a dark shade of red- whether from embarrassment or jealousy, Taryn had no clue.

"Good morning you guys," Taryn said with a large grin, very amused by Jean's reaction to her adopted sister's arrival. Mikasa nodded politely in response to Taryn's cheerful greeting. Armin flashed her a bright smile.

Most of the cadets were filing into the food hall now, still sleepy-eyed and yawning. Taryn began to chat happily with Armin, spewing her latest titan theory while the blonde haired cadet listened patiently to her. Taryn was more than grateful to her childhood friend for always listening to her. Other than the fact that he didn't mind discussing weird things with her, Armin was one of the few cadets who could actually understand a good amount of the scientific words she threw out. As Taryn paused to take a breath between sentences, she felt someone pat her on the head. With a slightly confused expression, she leaned back and craned her head up to see a familiar face.

"Morning, Yeager," said the boy, an impish grin on his lips. Her expression brightened.

"Morning, Weber," she replied, beaming at him. He ran a finger across her cheek, caressing her skin softly. Taryn felt herself blush furiously under his touch. Smirking at her reaction, he greeted all her friends with a chipper morning greeting before walking off to join his group of friends across the hall.

Taryn sighed. Luka Weber. That boy would be the death of her if the titans didn't get to her first.

Eren carefully watched his sister's face.

"Taryn…" he muttered warningly, nudging her foot under the table with his own. She looked up at him, her cheeks still red from Luka's touch.

"What?"

"You know we can't get involved with other people…in _that_ way…"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Taryn huffed, turning away from her brother and burying herself in her book again. She ignored the concerned glances her brother, Mikasa and Armin were shooting at her. Heck, even Jean was looking at her curiously, and he was an oblivious horse!

Her eyes slid across the words on the page without actually seeing. Taryn's mind raced quickly. She knew that romantic or frivolous relations were neither encouraged nor allowed between cadets. First of all, there was no time for that, but there was also no time or space for emotional ties and the risk of heartbreak. An emotional soldier made for a dangerously reckless one.

But Taryn couldn't help herself. Luka Weber was a year older than her. He had actually started off as a person on her "dislike" list. He had picked on her brother during drills, daring to even beat him up one time. At that point, if Taryn disliked him, he was absolutely hated by Mikasa.

Tall and lean, with a head of messy black hair, bright hazel eyes, and a crooked grin, he had definitely captured the attention, and a few hearts, of the female cadets. Taryn could barely stand him. That was, until he had actually dropped the arrogant, flirtatious act in front of her. She closed her eyes, remembering that night a few months ago.

* * *

 _Taryn was making her way back from the military library. It was a five-minute walk back to her barracks, but she decided to walk slowly- to enjoy the peace and calm that rarely existed these days. It was a gorgeously clear night as bright stars sparkled from every direction. Taryn could feel herself smiling. As she kept walking, she noticed that she was walking past the boys barracks. She paused. Her little brother was asleep there. Biting her lip, she felt the overwhelming temptation to go and check on him._

 _While she saw him almost everyday, she still missed him. She missed the nights when they were kids- how he used to leave his bed to cuddle up next to her. She missed the feeling of being able to protect him._

 _Throwing out any doubts, she quietly walked into the boys' barracks. It was fairly dark inside, save for the small sliver of moonlight that shone through a window. Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, Taryn caught sight of her brother sleeping on a bottom bunk. Her heart thumped in her chest, almost painfully. She could feel tears sting her eyes as she took in the sight of a sleeping Eren. His mouth was slightly open as he lay on his back. His face was so smooth- so clear of anger and stress. This was the Eren she missed- the Eren who was still a child, who wasn't plagued by the nightmares of titans. But, apparently she was wrong on that account._

 _Eren began to squirm and mutter roughly in his sleep before sitting straight up in bed and yelling._

 _"_ _Mom! No! I'm GOING TO KILL THOSE FUCKING TITANS!" he exclaimed, his eyes still shut. Taryn clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling a sob. He was suffering from nightmares._

 _"_ _Shut the fuck up, Yeager!" someone yelled from within the barracks. It sounded suspiciously like Jean._

 _Taryn raced over to Eren's side, gently running her hands through his hair, calming him down. It worked. He relaxed in her arms, his muttering subsiding. She caught sight of a few tears that had slid down his cheeks. With trembling fingers, she wiped them away, wishing desperately that she could just scoop him up in her arms and run away with him. Run away from the terrible reality that they lived in._

 _With a tired sigh, she kissed her brother's forehead and walked out of the barracks. Once outside, she leaned against the wall, only to slump to the ground wearily._

 _"_ _Yeager?"_

 _Taryn looked up at the sound of her name. Luka Weber was walking towards her, a confused expression on his face._

 _"_ _What are you doing at the boys' barracks?" he asked curiously. Taryn didn't reply. She didn't want anyone to perceive her brother as weak. Luka quirked an eyebrow as a mischievous grin slowly spread across his mouth._

 _"_ _Ohhh… so you were up for some…late night activities, huh?" Luka wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Taryn's face turned red._

 _"_ _Shut up, Weber. You don't know anything," she snapped angrily. Luka looked taken aback._

 _"_ _Woah. I'm sorry, Yeager. I didn't know that was such a sore spot." He wandered over to her and sat down beside her._

 _They sat in silence for a while._

 _"_ _Why'd you join the military?" he asked finally._

 _Taryn looked at him, trying to decide if he'd make fun of her or not- to see if he was sincerely interested._

 _She decided that he wasn't going to be a jerk, but all the same, she didn't want to say much._

 _"_ _My parents were eaten by titans," she began, not wanting to admit that she actually had no clue where her father was. "Eren, Mikasa, Armin and I had nowhere to go, so we joined the military. That's it."_

 _Luka absorbed that information, nodding slowly. They fell back into that silence. Then, feeling awkward and slightly rude, Taryn decided to reciprocate the question._

 _"_ _What about you? Did you come for the glory of being a soldier? For the prospect of being safe if you join the Military Police?" she asked, wondering how her question had turned so harsh._

 _Luka looked at her carefully, frowning. It wasn't that he was mad; it was thoughtful frown, showing that he was thinking hard._

 _"_ _You think I'm some sort of spoiled, arrogant bastard from the inside, don't you?" It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Taryn shrugged, not disagreeing with him._

 _He nodded, mulling over her response._

 _"_ _I act that way because it's better than letting myself sulk in depression at my reality," he said, smiling bitterly._

 _"_ _Your reality?" she asked curiously._

 _He answered without looking at her._

 _"I watched those titan-fuckers destroy my entire village. They killed my parents, my siblings and a lot of my friends. I managed to escape with a few of my other friends who survived as well. And then…we ran. We ran as fast as we could. We ran straight to the military and enlisted."_

 _Taryn stared at him in surprise and guilt. So, he had suffered through the horrors she had experienced herself._

 _"_ _I'm sorry," she murmured. He grunted in acknowledgment. Feeling utterly embarrassed and ashamed of herself at assuming things, she got up, ready to go back to her barracks._

 _"_ _Um…goodnight then, Weber," she muttered. She then felt a warm hand wrap around her own. Taryn looked down in surprise to see Luka looking down at the ground, holding onto her hand tightly._

 _"_ _Stay, please," he whispered. Taryn gaped at him awkwardly, not sure what to do. "Please?" he asked one more time, locking his eyes with hers. She nodded wordlessly and sat back down next to him. He scooted close to her until their shoulders were touching. Luka then rested his head on top of hers, breathing quietly. Taryn liked his scent. He smelled like the forest…and slightly of sweat, but that was expected._

 _"_ _You brother isn't the only one who still has nightmares," he murmured._

 _Taryn felt her heart clench painfully for the second time that night. Her fingers wormed their way through his as he wormed his way into her heart that night._

* * *

"Eat your breakfast quickly and report to the outside courtyard!"

Taryn snapped out of her reverie to see Keith Shadis, the Military instructor, walk into the food hall.

Everyone quickly shoveled down a meal of toast and juice before rushing outside.

All the cadets were lined up on the grounds, standing straight, holding their arms in the salute that they had become second nature to them.

"You've trained hard for five years," their instructor began. He surveyed all of them, a stern expression on his face. "Tonight, we will be holding the graduation ceremony for the 104th squad. You will be able to decide which regiment you plan to join- the Garrison Regiment, the Scout Regiment, or the Military Police. Remember, only the top ten cadets will be allowed to join the Military Police. We will announce who those ten are at tonight's ceremony."

He looked at them with a slight glint of pride in his eyes. He had managed to whip these people into top class cadets within five years. But that feeling of pride quickly died out at his next thought.

 _Out of the two hundred eighteen cadets here…how many of them will actually survive?_

Instructor Shadis shook his head grimly and dismissed the cadets, allowing them to go and do as they pleased for the day.

* * *

Taryn took a seat on one of the benches outside on the training grounds. She had a book plopped open on her lap, as usual, but this time, she also had her notebook out and was furiously writing in it. Every once in a while, she would look up to watch her brother practice his hand-to-hand combat with Mikasa. Mikasa could easily take him out with a single move, but she watched as her adopted sister held back, not willing to hurt Eren. Taryn chuckled.

"Reading again?"

Taryn was so startled that she nearly fell off of her seat. She looked up to see the petite blonde, Annie, walking over to her. Annie had her short hair tied up into its usual bun. Her pale blue eyes were as sullen and expressionless as ever.

"What can I say? I guess I'm a book addict," Taryn replied, flashing a grin at the solemn cadet.

Annie perched herself on the table, resting her feet next to Taryn on the bench. She pulled out an apple from her jacket and munched on it.

"What are you scribbling in that notebook of yours?"

Taryn shrugged.

"I was just going through all the records of past expeditions outside the wall. I was writing down any information I saw about the titans. I don't want to miss any details."

Annie looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Why are you so interested in the titans? Didn't they kill your mother?" she asked, studying Tarn carefully.

Taryn nodded slowly. It was a difficult memory to process. While Eren pushed himself to fight better by remembering their mother's death, Taryn tended to block that memory, not wanting her last memories of her mother to be tainted with the stench and sight of blood.

"I find the titans interesting because they're creatures of habit. Even the abnormal titans are driven to destroy humanity by eating humans. They have no need for food, yet they eat every person they can get their hands on. Why?" Taryn said thoughtfully.

Annie took another bite of her apple and looked away. She remained silent for a while, leaving Taryn to her musings. But then she spoke up.

"None of that matters. What matters is killing them all."

Taryn looked at the girl. Annie's eyes were unreadable. It was like she was trying extra hard to hide a secret. Taryn wanted to ask her what was wrong, but she stopped herself. While Annie wasn't her best friend, Taryn held her in high regard and she knew that Annie respected her as well.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." The two fell back into silence.

"Eren!"

Taryn looked up to see Eren lying on the ground in a weird angle. Mikasa was hovering over him, worriedly brushing his hair out from his face and apologizing a lot.

"Eren! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you that hard!"

Eren groaned and lifted himself off of the dirt. Mikasa placed her hand on his arm, attempting to help him up.

"I'm fine, Mikasa!" he growled, pulling himself free from her grip in annoyance. His cheeks were bright red with embarrassment.

Taryn saw hurt flash through Mikasa's eyes, but she quickly schooled her expression into something neutral. Taryn sighed. Her brother could be such a brat at times. She knew how much he hated the fact that Mikasa was an amazing fighter and stronger than him. He wanted to take care of her- not the other way around.

She got up from her bench, tucking her book and notebook under her arm and walked over to her two siblings.

"Eren," she began, looking at him reproachfully, "maybe you should take a break."

Eren stared at the ground, his ears turning red as well. While he tended to lash out at Mikasa, he would rarely act out with Taryn. She reminded him too much of their mother. She had Carla Yeager's warm and gentle personality mixed with their father's intelligence and impulsiveness. Unfortunately, both of the siblings also had short fuses. It didn't take much to make them angry, though neither knew from which parent they had inherited this trait.

"Fine," he muttered, turning around and trudging back to their bunkers.

Taryn looked at Mikasa. She was wistfully staring at Eren's retreating figure.

"He cares about you. A lot," she murmured to Mikasa. The other girl's expression didn't change but Taryn watched as her cheeks were tinted with a light pink.

"I know," Mikasa replied softly. She unconsciously gripped the red scarf that was wrapped around her neck, pulling it up to her nose and inhaling the familiar scent. The red scarf that Eren had given to her when he had rescued her.

 _I will never stop fighting for you, Eren_ , Mikasa thought to herself.

* * *

It was nighttime. Stars glittered brightly overhead, shining their light on the ceremony that was taking place below.

All the cadets were lined up, once again, on the grounds, standing at attention. Keith Shadis stood on a stage in front of them and announced the top ten recruits.

It was as follows:

10- Krista Lenz

9- Sasha Blaus

8- Connie Springer

7- Marco Bott

6- Jean Kirstein

5- Eren Yeager

4- Annie Leonhart

3- Bertholt Hoover

2- Reiner Braun

1- Mikasa Ackerman

Taryn felt a flash of pride surge through her. Of course Mikasa would be number one, but she was so happy to see that Eren's hard work had paid off- even if he was still going to join the Survey Corps.

Armin, who was standing next to her, exchanged a happy grin with her. He was just as proud of them as she was. Both she and Armin knew that they definitely wouldn't be in the top ten. While they were capable of fighting, they were not that great at killing titans (or at least the fake ones that were used for the time being). But, they still managed to be the two smartest individuals in their squad.

Later that night, all of the cadets gathered in the food hall, chatting happily and celebrating their graduation. Taryn found herself talking to Marco.

"Congratulations on getting into the top ten!" she said with a bright smile.

Marco blushed, the red color spreading across his freckled cheeks. He rubbed the back of his neck and stuttered out a quick "Thank you". Taryn laughed. Marco was so adorable and cheerful. It was hard not to feel good around him.

"Congratulations to you as well," he said, taking a sip from his mug.

Taryn scrunched her nose in confusion. "For what?"

"For having two siblings reach the top ten!"

Taryn shrugged. "I had a feeling they'd be in the top. Mikasa's just naturally talented and Eren works hard. When they set their mind to something, they get it." Marco nodded in agreement.

"So which regiment are you planning on joining?" she asked, although she was already sure what his answer would be.

"The Military Police. I want to be able to protect the king with my life!"

Taryn knew that he was being sincere. Most cadets, like Jean, wanted to join the Military Police to have an easy and safe life. But she could see that Marco wanted to join to really protect the king.

Just as she was about to reply, she heard a loud shout.

"But you can't possibly win!"

The entire hall went silent. Everyone turned to see the source of the yell. It was Thomas Wagner. He was shouting at Eren. Taryn sighed. Of course, if there were some kind of commotion, her brother would likely be at the center of it.

"Excuse me for a moment," she mumbled to Marco before walking over to the small group of people surrounding Eren. Mikasa and Armin were amongst them.

"You know how many people have been eaten by the titans…we've lost more than _twenty_ percent of our entire population, already! Mankind doesn't stand a chance against them," Thomas concluded, his expression filled with anxiety.

Everyone was silent. But then-

"So?"

Taryn looked at her brother in surprise. He stood there, staring stonily at the crowd around him.

"You're giving up just because you think you can't win?" Thomas looked stunned.

"Well-" he began but was cut off by Eren again.

"It's true. We have suffered only defeats up until this point. But, that's because we hardly know anything about the titans!"

Taryn wholeheartedly agreed with her little brother. He continued.

"We can't defeat them using sheer numbers. We may have lost, but the knowledge we gained from those battles is our guiding beacon of hope! Yet, you'd throw away the tactical progress bought by hundreds of thousands of sacrifices just to serve yourself up on a silver platter? You've got to be kidding me…"

Everyone was shocked at Eren's passionate speech. But he didn't stop there. Eren clenched his fist tightly, his eyes shining with angry tears.

"I'll kill every last one of them and break free from these walls! That's my dream! Mankind hasn't lost everything yet."

No one said anything. Taryn was as surprised as everyone else. She knew that her brother was fueled by rage and had an end goal (killing all the titans), but she had never heard him voice it so…inspirationally…

Overwhelmed by emotions, Eren turned and ran out of the hall. Seeing this, Armin and Mikasa took off after him. Taryn sighed. She needed to make sure that he was okay. She calmly walked out of the hall and found the trio resting on a flight of stone stairs outside the building. Eren's eyes were slightly red as he wiped away some tears.

Taryn sat down next to her brother, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"So…your dream is to break free from this place, huh?" she asked. He nodded.

"I got that dream from you, you know…" he muttered. Taryn didn't know whether to feel flattered or worried. As wonderful as it would be to explore the outside world, there were too many dangers that she didn't want Eren to face.

Suddenly, Armin spoke, breaking the silence.

"I'm going to join the Survey Corps!"

Eren gasped.

"Seriously Armin? But you were one of the top in classroom studies! Put that to use instead!"

Armin looked down. "I don't care if I die, as long as I'm useful."

"I'm going to join the Survey Corps as well," Mikasa said quietly. At this, Eren got angry.

"What?! But you got the top score! Go to the Military Police!"

"I'll go if you do, Eren. If you go to the Garrison Regiment, I would follow you there as well. You'll die an early death if I'm not there for you."

Eren growled at this.

"I never asked for that."

Taryn rolled her eyes. It was apparent how irritated Eren was getting with Mikasa's constant coddling of him, but she privately appreciated Mikasa's constant effort to keep her little brother alive. She didn't want to lose what was left of her small, broken family.

Apparently, neither did Mikasa.

* * *

The Scout Regiment had returned from their expedition. Eren, Taryn, Armin, Mikasa and some others had run to the front gates to watch their heroes return.

Green-caped soldiers poured through the gate. They stood tall and proud. It definitely wasn't like the time the Regiment had come back from a dreadful expedition five years earlier.

"Look! There's Commander Erwin Smith!" Eren crowed happily, pointing at a tall man who was riding his horse in front of the formation of soldiers. Taryn studied the Commander carefully. He had neat, blonde hair that was styled in an undercut. His icy blue eyes stared straight ahead, ignoring all the shouts and muttering coming from the crowd at the side. With a start, Taryn remembered this man from that very expedition five years ago.

 _Taryn was standing with Eren and Mikasa, trying to peer over the shoulders of the tall adults in front of her. Eren had been so excited to see his heroes return- unfortunately, no one else shared his sentiment. He had smiled brightly at a younger Erwin Smith. The Commander had seen Eren's enthusiastic expression, but he didn't return it. Instead, his icy façade melted into a vulnerable expression of surprise- but only for a second. He then quickly rearranged his features back into that expressionless mask and looked away from her little brother, just a touch of shame evident in his eyes._

"Wow! There's Levi Heichou too! They say he's worth an entire army!" Eren yelped, practically jumping up and down in excitement. Taryn rolled her eyes. She was sure her brother would either piss his pants or pass out from the amount of excitement and hero-worship flowing through him at the moment.

"He looks constipated if you ask me," Mikasa muttered under her breath, glaring at the short Captain. Taryn stifled a chuckle at her foster sister's comment.

"Well, regardless if he's constipated or not," Taryn began, ignoring the death glare her brother shot her, "…it looks like this expedition went better than all the others. Maybe there's hope for us?"

"That's right! I bet the Colossal Titan won't even come back, right Hannah?" chirped a tall cadet standing behind them.

A girl with red hair tied back into a ponytail hung off of his arm, nodding vigorously in agreement. "Of course, Franz!"

Taryn watched as Eren's eyes widened in frustration at this comment.

"You can't be that naïve… you- you old married couple!"

Immediately, both of the other cadets' faces went red.

"We're not a couple!"

"Don't be so hasty, Eren!"

They both squealed at the same time, hiding their faces. Taryn chuckled. At least those two had managed to find love in a time of horror and darkness. Eren had balled up his fists, growling loudly. But before he could shout another word at the obviously flustered couple, he heard a familiar voice calling him.

"Hey, you there!"

The four cadets turned around to see Hannes walking up to them. He was grinning widely.

"You graduated yesterday right? I can't believe they let you kids through!"

Eren smirked. "I can't believe they made a drunkard like you the captain of the Garrison."

Hannes shook his head in amusement, a smile gracing his lips. Then Taryn noticed his smile fade away.

"I'm sorry…sorry for not saving your mother," the older soldier said softly, looking at the two Yeager siblings with regret in his eyes.

Eren considered Hannes' words.

"It's not your fault, Mr. Hannes," Taryn said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. The soldier's mouth dropped open in surprise.

Eren nodded, agreeing with his sister. "I'm not ignorant anymore. I won't let that tragedy ever happen again."

Mikasa, Armin and Mr. Hannes watched the young boy speak, stunned by the anger in his voice. His teal eyes glowed brightly, almost shining a green color, at his last words.

"I will defeat the titans!" he concluded, gritting his teeth. Taryn felt pride well up in her chest at her brother's passion and determination. He wasn't a little boy any longer. He was a man who was ready to fight for humanity- to fight for their mother.

* * *

Taryn had separated from her brother, Mikasa, and Armin. The latter three had gone to the wall to help clean out the cannons. Taryn had decided to venture into the military library close to the center of the town. Although the supply of books provided by the military was very meager, she still hadn't read all of the books yet. Most of the books studied tactical theories. There were little to no fictional books- mainly poetry.

But the young Yeager girl was just happy to have something to read in the first place. Books were her escape from the harsh, titan-filled reality. They fed her information, temporarily quenching that thirst for knowledge that constantly plagued her.

With a content sigh, Taryn plucked an old brown book off of a very dusty shelf that looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Of course, the entire library looked like it hadn't had a visitor in years as well- most cadets preferred to focus on the more physical aspects of training rather than the mental ones. But Taryn found that she liked the isolation.

She walked over to her favorite reading spot (a nook built into one of the windows with the perfect amount of natural light that illuminated the pages of her book) and plopped down. She opened the book and began to flip through the pages, wondering what kind of book this one was. It didn't take long for her to figure out that this was another tactical book, except this one was about battle formations. With interest, she began to peruse the different formations used in past expeditions. She noticed that someone had neatly written notes in the margins of every single chapter. Some notes were suggestions as to how to make the formations better, while other notes were observations on the weaknesses and strengths of the written techniques.

After a while, she found it more interesting to read the side notes rather than the actual text. _Well, at least someone else had actually decided to visit the library in the past decade or so,_ she thought with a grin.

As she looked through the notes, she realized how useful they would actually be on future expeditions in the Scouting Regiment. Taryn decided to keep the book with her and ask Armin what he thought of it. Armin, though not very physically gifted, was a brilliant tactician- he just had yet to notice how smart he really was. Flipping through the book, she reached the end and saw something scribbled hastily on the inside of the back cover.

 _Property of E.S._

 _E.S.? Who's E.S?_ she thought curiously.

With a shrug of her shoulders, Taryn tucked the book into a large pocket inside her jacket and made to get off of the window nook. A sudden light flashed through the window. The ground shook, knocking her down on the wooden floor, causing her to bruise her knees, and a sound louder than thunder reverberated through the small library room.

 _Fuck! Eren!_ She thought wildly. If that sixty-meter titan had appeared again, it would first attack the walls, she judged, basing her thoughts off of the titan's behavior from five years ago. Eren was on that wall. Mikasa and Armin were there too. _Shit_.

Taryn ran outside and her worst fears were confirmed. The Colossal Titan was once again peeking over the wall, its ugly face surveying the destruction it had caused below.

"Eren!" she shrieked.

* * *

"You're not going to get away this time!" Eren yelled as he swung around the titan, his 3DMG gear hooking into the titan's raw muscles.

The sound of screaming reverberated from the city down below. People were running everywhere as the gaping hole in the wall, which the Colossal Titan had just created with its giant foot, was being filled with other titans. The large, naked, dough like beings wandered into the city, ready to eat as many humans as they could.

The sound of blood pounding in his ears drowned out all of the screams. Eren reared his blades high above his head, ready to strike the Colossal when, in a burst of searing hot steam, the Colossal Titan disappeared. Eren's blades sliced through the air, missing their target by inches.

"W-what?" Eren stuttered. It was gone. Again. Confusion turned to rage as the titan's disappearance sank into him.

Eren quickly shot his 3DMG hooks at the wall, making sure to balance himself.

"Did you get it?" Thomas Wagner shouted, poking his head over the side of the wall to look at Eren.

Eren shoot his head, his hands curled into tight fists that were trembling with fury. He scaled up the side of the wall, standing before Connie Springer and Thomas.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, bowing his head to the two. Thomas shook his head in a good-natured fashion, his small smile belying the fear that was reflected in his wide eyes.

"It's okay. At least you tried to do something. We couldn't even move," he said truthfully.

"Guys! Stop chatting! The wall's been breached and if we don't fix it as soon as we can, then titans will be pouring in again!" Connie Springer yelled.

The three cadets heard the _swish_ of 3DMG gear behind them. They turned and saw a soldier of the Garrison Regiment standing there, stress evident on his face.

"The plan for dealing with the Colossal Titan has been put in motion. You have to return to Headquarters immediately. Those who came in contact with the titan must file a report."

With that, the soldier ran past them, preparing himself to assist his fellow Garrison Regiment soldiers.

"I pray for your success," he shouted to them over his shoulder.

Eren gritted his teeth.

* * *

Taryn ran as quickly as she could through the city. As she neared the wall, she skidded to a stop, gaping at the eight-meter wide hole that would now allow titans in.

 _Oh no_.

"Eren!" she screamed, praying that her little brother was okay.

People were running around wildly, screaming in terror. Taryn watched as man picked up his tiny daughter and threw her over his shoulder, running away from the wall. A doll fell from the girl's hands, getting lost under the feet of the terrified crowd. Almost as if she was hypnotized, Taryn walked forward and picked up the doll, clutching it tightly to her chest.

Children were having their childhood ripped from them right before their eyes. People were losing their lives. It was an era of lost innocence. Her brother's lost innocence.

"Fuck! Eren! Where are you?" she cried once again, trying to shout louder than the mass sprinting around her.

"Cadet!" she heard a sharp yell from nearby. Taryn turned her head to see a brown-haired Garrison soldier standing on a box. He had been directing people, telling them to remain calm and evacuate.

"Sir!" she replied, saluting.

He was waving his hand sideways, guiding people in the right direction.

"Report to Headquarters! As a graduate, you are now a proper soldier and must fight this war too!"

"Yessir!" she shouted. With a quick nod to the soldier, she began to run back into the city.

 _Of all the days to not have my 3DMG on me,_ she grumbled to herself. She sprinted as quickly as she could, thanking her lucky stars that she was tiny enough to squeeze through the congested crowd.

It didn't take her long to reach Headquarters. The young cadet raced up the stairs to find all her fellow cadets dashing around the hallways, yelling orders at one another. She ran to a supply room and found a spare 3DMG. Taryn grabbed it and made her way to the gas containers to fill her 3DMG tank up.

As she neared the containers lined up at the wall, she spotted a head of golden-blonde hair. Next to the blonde sat a messy brown-haired boy.

"Eren! Armin!" she yelped, running to them.

Eren and Armin seemed to have been having an argument. Armin's hands were shaking and sweat was pouring down his face. Eren looked up with wide eyes.

"Taryn!" He dropped his tank and ran to his big sister, throwing his arms around her. She squeezed him tightly.

"Did you see the titan?" she whispered so that only he could hear. She felt his grip on her tighten and took his response as an affirmative answer.

She gently pushed him away from her and placed a hand on his cheek. With surprise, Taryn noticed that his face no longer round and childish- it was sharp and chiseled like a grown man's.

"We'll get him," she promised. His eyes wavered ever so slightly.

With a final affectionate squeeze, Eren left her side and ran back to Armin. Taryn felt someone shift next to her and she saw Mikasa hovering behind the two boys.

She grabbed the girl's arm. "Mikasa!" she exclaimed. Mikasa turned around in surprise to face Taryn. The older girl held Mikasa's arms, forcing her to look her in the eye.

"Take care of Eren, please," Taryn pleaded. Grey, stormy eyes hardened, taking Taryn's words to heart as she nodded her head. Taryn felt a sliver of relief spread through her. If there were anyone who was capable of protecting Eren with his or her life, it would be Mikasa.

She watched as the trio made their way out, ready to take on the titans.

"Taryn!" someone yelled. She spotted Luka making his way through the scrambling cadets.

"Luka!"

He ran up to her and pulled her behind a pillar, away from the confusion and from prying eyes. She noted that he was already fully geared up. His 3DMG was strapped on him, ready to be used in battle. Sweat beaded his forehead and she could see fear in his eyes.

"Where are you assigned to fight?" he asked in a low voice.

"I think I'm on the read guard." He groaned and bent down, pressing his forehead against hers.

"We won't be fighting together," he breathed. Taryn nodded, confused. He growled. "Well, since I can't be there to protect you, please, _please_ , take care of yourself. Don't do anything stupid. I want to be able to see you after the fight."

Taryn's eyes widened. Over the past few months, she and Luka had grown close as friends. There was the occasional flirting and touches, but she had never seen him behaving so intensely.

Before she could say anything, he leaned down and pressed his lips lightly against hers. She flushed heavily, enjoying the feeling. His lips were slightly chapped and dry, but she liked it. Soon after, he pulled away from her, a sad grin on his face.

"Stay safe," he said, giving her cheek one last caress before turning and racing back into the chaos of cadets.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations, and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, violence, and sexual scenes (eventually).

 **A/N:** Hi friends! Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows you've given this story! It really means so much to me and definitely keeps me motivated. I'm sorry for not getting this chapter out sooner- between travelling and moving into a new apartment, I barely got any time to work on this. I finally found some time on my flight to college to write this out (not having internet for four hours really motivates a person…)

Also the reference for the quip about Erwin's eyebrows can be found on a website posted to my profile. There are like 100 more quips about other characters as well that are hilarious, so be sure to check it out!

 **Lynn Stark: Thank you! And I re-uploaded the first chapter to help with the tactic book continuity issue.**

 **Dareaderreads: Thank you so much ^.^ I definitely intend on continuing and finishing this story (no matter how long it takes me). As for Luka, we'll see what happens… *evil grin* Also, this story will run alongside the events that happen in the manga, so when Isayama decides to kill all the titans, so will I!**

 **Laeliah: Thank you so much for the review, love! Also thank you for the suggestion! I hadn't noticed that FF didn't upload the chapter with the page-breaks I had originally put in, but I'm glad you pointed that out.**

One last note, I'm going to start putting up spoiler alerts because yes, this story will include stuff from the manga. So all you anime watchers who haven't read the manga, there might be some stuff that will give things away in future chapters. Onwards!

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Two: The Color Green

" _Well I never really thought that you'd come tonight,_

 _While the crown hangs heavy on either side,_

 _Give me one last chance while we're far too young to die._

 _We're far too young to die."_

 _(Far Too Young to Die- P!ATD)_

* * *

Taryn raced to the rooftops, quickly joining her squad- the rear guard. According to their squad leader, they'd be in charge of keeping the titans from getting close to the people. Taryn prayed to every deity out there, asking for help and to make sure that she wouldn't mess up.

As she flew up to the roof of a building covered with her fellow cadets, Taryn caught sight of silky-straight black hair flying in the slight breeze. Her eyes widened.

"Mikasa?" she called out in shock. Said girl turned to see her foster sister land next to her.

"I thought you would be assigned with Eren!" Taryn exclaimed. Mikasa shook her head, not daring to look Taryn in the eye. Mikasa had fought tooth and nail with her squad leader, trying her hardest to be allowed to fight alongside Eren, but the leader hadn't allowed it. Eren hadn't allowed it.

 _"_ _It's time to stop thinking about what you want, Mikasa! Humanity's on the verge of extinction. There's no time for you to impose your own selfish rules!"_ he had yelled in fury. Mikasa had failed Taryn.

Taryn sighed. "Well, at least he's got Armin." Mikasa was not comforted by that fact. Although she loved the small, blond boy, she didn't have a lot of trust in his fighting abilities. Taryn was slightly more confident that Armin's superior intelligence could keep Eren out of trouble…but she wasn't confident enough.

"Listen, Mikasa. You stay here. I'll go find Armin and Eren. It looks like the people here will need you more than m-", but Taryn was cut off with a chorus of shrill screams.

"Someone's blocked the exit gate and there's an aberrant titan advancing!" their leader shouted. Reluctantly, Mikasa gave Taryn a quick look and nodded her head. She trusted her foster sister. With that, Mikasa sped off, moving forward to help the people.

Taryn took off as well, but she paused to watch Mikasa fly towards the titan, taking it down in a fluid move. A wry grin spread across Taryn's lips. That girl could definitely give Captain Levi a run for his money, possibly stealing his title of "Humanity's Strongest Soldier".

Flying from rooftop to rooftop, Taryn searched for her brother and Armin in desperation. What she saw instead was body after broken body- littering the streets, dangling from roof shingles, and hanging from titan mouths. Blood painted the cobblestone streets, leaving bright red splotches on the walls as well. Debris lay everywhere. She was sure she had even seen some fires pop up in different parts of the city.

Finally, a glint of golden hair caught her eye. Taryn turned sharply mid-air and raced toward the figure she knew to be Armin. As she neared him, she almost stopped and reversed. In front of Armin was a huge, smiling titan. He had a long grey beard and the dead eyes that came with every titan. Armin had his armed reached out in front of him, his mouth opened in a silent scream as the titan remained grinning at him.

"ARMIN!" Taryn yelled. She flew to the rooftop to see the grinning titan picking Armin up. The blond boy didn't put up a fight. He didn't kick or scream. He just dangled limply from the titan's grasp, ready to accept his fate as he was lowered to the creature's mouth.

A choked snarl came from Taryn's throat as she realized she wouldn't be able to snatch Armin from the titan in time. So she did something very desperate that made absolutely no sense- but for some reason, her panic-scrambled mind convinced her to do it.

"PUT HIM DOWN!" she screamed at the titan.

The bearded titan paused, still holding onto Armin, but not bringing him to his mouth anymore.

Taryn's jaw dropped. _Did I just startle the titan? Can titans even be startled?_ Her mind babbled at a million miles per second, unsure of what was happening.

She landed on the rooftop in front of the titan, willing to try speaking to it once more, and held up her hands in surrender. "Please, put him down," she commanded in a wavering but commanding voice. The titan looked at her, regarding her with those unseeing eyes. And then-

It listened. _It fucking listened_.

Armin was gently set down on the roof next to her. His legs stopped supporting him, causing his knees to buckle beneath him. Taryn wanted to rush to his side and pick him up, but right now, aside from the fact that the titan seemed to actually _listen_ to her, it was still a threat and she needed it gone. While she had been able to successfully take down at least three dummy titans during training, she didn't trust herself enough to take down this behemoth.

The titan looked at her calmly, almost as if it was waiting for instructions. So she gave them.

"Leave us, _now_ ," she snarled harshly. Her heart was beating hard, threatening to jump out of her chest. _What if it was just listening on a fluke? What if it eats both of us?_

The titan blinked in confirmation and turned away from the two soldiers. It walked away, already in search of new victims.

Taryn released a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding.

" _Holy fuck_ ," she hissed, collapsing onto her knees. Her hands were shaking and her black shirt was covered in sweat.

She turned to check on Armin. He was still on his knees, hugging his chest tightly, tears spilling out of his eyes.

"Armin," she said quietly, resting a hand on his shoulder. He didn't respond. Taryn understood. He had witnessed many of his comrades die. He had almost died. And he had witnessed a titan actually listening to Taryn, fluke or not. She wondered what Eren would say about that.

 _Eren!_ Where the hell was Eren? She knew her brother would be the first one to run and defend Armin. So where was he?

She shook Armin's shoulder. "Hey, Armin. Where's Eren?" she asked, looking around, almost expecting to see him drop out of the sky, his emerald eyes gleaming in triumph as he successfully slaughtered a multitude of titans.

Armin refused to answer.

Suddenly, Taryn heard the sharp sound of 3DMG nearby. Looking up hopefully, she caught sight of a small figure heading towards them. It was Connie.

"Armin! Taryn!" the boy exclaimed as he ran up to them.

He bent down to pat Armin on the back, finding his shell-shocked expression quite unnerving.

"What happened here? Where are the rest?" he asked. Taryn waited for an answer as well. Armin didn't answer.

Connie looked at Taryn expectantly. She shrugged.

"I don't know where anyone else is."

"Armin! You need to tell us what happened!"

Armin's head suddenly snapped up to stare at Connie, his blue eyes growing wide. Taryn watched in horror as her childhood friend gripped his blond locks in his hands and began to scream in fear at the terrifying memories that were assaulting his mind.

"It's clear isn't it?" came a drawling voice. Connie and Taryn looked around wildly to find Ymir, another cadet, standing on the roof above them. Her brown hair was tied back into a tight ponytail and her freckles stood out against her tanned skin. She wasn't covered in blood- there wasn't a single scratch on her.

"What's clear?" Connie asked, annoyed.

Ymir rolled her eyes.

"Everyone else from this squad is gone. Wiped out. No one stood a chance," she responded coldly.

Connie looked very confused. "Then why is Armin still alive?"

Taryn froze. She didn't want to answer that. She didn't want to become a freak in his eyes for being able to apparently _fucking communicate with titans_. Plus, it could have been luck, right? Thankfully, Ymir saved her from answering.

"Maybe they thought he was a corpse," she said with a shrug. "Anyways, it's unfortunate that only this underachiever made it out. Everything Eren and the others did was for nothing," she sneered, nodding towards Armin who was still curled up, clutching his hair in pain.

"You bitch…Do you want me to make it so that you'll never speak again?" Connie snarled angrily.

Taryn ignored Connie and chose to stare at Ymir, letting the woman's words sink in.

"Wait. Eren isn't dead," she said confidently. Ymir raised an eyebrow and Connie bit his lip.

"Look around, stupid. No one in this squad survived."

Taryn couldn't listen to Ymir any longer.

"Armin! Where's Eren?" she asked desperately, shaking his shoulders once again.

"H-he's…I-I couldn't…couldn't save…sacrifice…worthless…" Armin mumbled, his words getting scrambled.

"W-what?" Taryn asked, her voice a harsh whisper. Connie looked at her in pity.

"I told you. He's worthless. Let's leave him here- we don't have time for him," Ymir growled.

"Fuck you," Connie said with a scowl, raising his blades in a fighting stance.

"Stop it!" exclaimed a high-pitched voice. A beautiful, young blonde girl ran up to the small group, breathing heavily. She held her hands out, almost in a protective stance for Ymir.

"We're all upset. All of our friends are dying so it's only natural that we'd be upset!"

Ymir grinned happily and hugged the young girl. "That's my Krista! Marry me when this is over," she crooned.

Connie shook his head in disbelief and disgust. He turned back to Armin.

"Can you stand, Armin? We've got to get out of here."

The blond-haired boy stood up slowly. His head was bowed down.

"I'm sorry, Taryn. I-it should have been me," he rasped before flying off with his 3DMG.

Taryn was speechless. The reality hadn't hit her yet. There was no way a titan had eaten Eren. It was impossible. Why would a titan want to eat a teenager? A teenager with blazing green eyes that was capable of displaying so many emotions- anger, love, happiness, and despair… Oddly enough, although she could tell that she wanted to cry, no tears leaked out of her eyes. She just felt oddly numb.

" _Eren_ ," she whined weakly. Connie let out a sad sigh and nudged her shoulder.

"We need to get going, Yeager," he said gently. Taryn nodded mechanically and followed him. Buildings zoomed past her in a blur. The world was completely colorless in her eyes. She followed Connie blindly, not caring where they were going.

With a sudden jerk, Taryn realized that Connie was landing on another rooftop. A handful of cadets were scattered across the rusty-red shingles. Taryn recognized a few of them. Jean was seated, his head held between his hands. She noticed a crazed look in his eyes and understood it. He was probably being crushed with guilt right now. Connie walked up to Jean, speaking to him in firm but comforting tones. Taryn didn't bother to listen to their exchange.

She studied everyone else. They were all very still, suffering from the loss of their friends. They were terrified. She heard a light sniffle and spotted Armin resting against a wall protruding from the building. His eyes were wide with shock and fear. Taryn stepped forward to comfort him- to comfort herself, but a hand stopped her.

Pale blue eyes met her brown ones.

"What happened?" Annie asked, her fingers lightly resting on Taryn's shoulder. Reiner and Bertholt made their way towards the two, standing on either side of Annie. They were giants next to the petite blonde, Taryn's weary and numb mind thought wryly.

"The whole squad was wiped out. No one but Armin survived," she mumbled. She saw the curious looks on the two males faces. Even Annie's eyes glinted with questions. But they were sensitive enough not to push it.

Reiner stepped forward, enveloping Taryn in a warm hug. Her face was pressed against his hard, muscled chest. His warmth didn't drive away the cold that had settled in her body, but she was still grateful for the contact. Reiner had always been, dare she say it, the mother hen of the group. Although they weren't as close as she would have liked to be, he was there to look out for the others. Even tall, lanky and awkward Bertholt offered her a small, reassuring grin, his brown eyes trying to convey his sympathy for her.

"Why is everyone waiting here?" Taryn asked tonelessly as Reiner released her.

"Everyone is close to running out of gas. We need to refill, but the titans are swarming all over Headquarters…Even if we make it there, we won't have enough gas to fight off the titans," Bertholt answered quietly, sweating ever so slightly.

"Taryn!"

She turned around to see Mikasa running quickly towards them, her stormy grey eyes brewing with emotions.

Mikasa ran up to her foster sister, stopping right in front of her.

"Where's Eren?"

Taryn cringed, the words hitting her at full force. Mikasa looked at her expectantly, glancing around every once in a while, looking for that familiar head of messy, brown hair. She couldn't answer her foster sister.

To her surprise, Annie stepped protectively in front of her, shielding her from Mikasa's intense gaze. Even Bertholt moved up to stand by her side. Annie's icy eyes stared at Mikasa, locked in a silent challenge.

"We haven't heard from his squad. Why don't you ask Armin?" Reiner said calmly, nodding towards the small, bleak figure sitting at the back by himself. Mikasa looked confused and tried to catch Taryn's attention.

Taryn refused to meet her eyes.

With an abrupt nod, Mikasa turned away from the group and walked towards Armin. Taryn sighed in relief. She couldn't tell Mikasa about Eren. Mikasa would hate her for not protecting him. She could still hardly admit to herself that her brother was gone.

She eyed at Annie, a question evident on her expression at the blonde's protective stance. Annie just shrugged, but she didn't change her position.

"Thanks guys," Taryn whispered to the three. Reiner wrapped an arm around her shoulder in a consoling manner.

* * *

"Armin, are you okay?" Mikasa asked, running up to said boy.

Armin visibly stiffened. He couldn't tell Mikasa. But she needed to know. _Why did_ he _have to be the one to tell her?_

With tears running down his cheeks and snot trailing from his nose, Armin looked her straight in the eye.

"We…the cadets of Squad 34," he choked out, grabbing his knees for support, "Thomas Wagner, Nack Tius, Millius Zerumski, Mina Carolina…"

Mikasa's eyes dimmed after every name, praying that the one name she cared about wouldn't slip from Armin's mouth. She wasn't that lucky.

"Eren Yeager!" Armin finally rasped, concluding the list of his dead comrades. "These five carried out their mission and heroically fought!" he cried out loud.

Everyone was silent as they watched the two- mainly waiting for Mikasa's reaction. Even hearing a verbal confirmation of Eren's death wasn't enough to send Taryn into a rage. She still felt nothing. Reiner tightened his grip on her while she felt Annie's fingers lightly brush against her hand.

Taryn stared at her foster sister. It looked like Mikasa had been chiseled out of stone.

"I'm so sorry, Mikasa. Eren gave his life for me!" Armin sobbed, his head bowed with grief.

To everyone's surprise, Mikasa kneeled down and placed her hand over her friends. "There's no time to be sentimental," she said softly, ignoring Armin's stunned expression.

She got up and spun around, barking out orders to Marco and the other cadets.

Taryn regarded her carefully. Even though Mikasa wasn't crying and screaming, she could read the girl like the back of her hand. Mikasa was furious. There was a storm raging behind those stone-grey eyes of hers.

"I'm strong- much stronger than all of you! Even if I have to do it myself, I'll scatter those titans!" Mikasa snarled.

With those last words, she turned and flew off the roof, making her way to Headquarters. Taryn's eyes narrowed. _An emotional soldier made for a dangerously reckless one_.

"Well that was insulting," Reiner deadpanned.

"You guys go ahead. Make it to Headquarters!" Taryn exclaimed to the trio. Annie, Bertholt and Reiner nodded, following after Mikasa. All of the cadets were filled with rage and grief right now. In the midst of these feelings, they all charged after Mikasa, shouting angrily. Jean was leading them all.

Taryn shook her head. She ran up to Armin.

"You know she's too angry right now, right?" Armin nodded. If anyone could read Mikasa as well as she could, it was Armin. He was incredibly perceptive.

"Good. We need to go after her. She's using too much of her gas."

The two used their 3DMG to maneuver off of the roof in pursuit of Mikasa. They quickly found themselves flying slightly behind her. She looked graceful yet deadly. Taryn shuddered, grateful to not be the target of her foster sister's rage.

"Taryn! At this rate she'll run out and lose complete mobility!" Armin yelled as they rocketed through the air.

Taryn nodded. Just as she turned her head to look back at Mikasa, said girl's 3DMG sputtered, completely out of gas. Mikasa plummeted through the air, falling down at an increasing rate.

"MIKASA!" the two shouted in unison, speeding after her.

They zipped around, searching desperately for the girl. She could be anywhere! They hadn't seen where she had exactly fallen.

" _Fuck!"_ Taryn exclaimed as she narrowly avoided being grabbed out of the air by a seven-meter class titan.

Suddenly, a bone-trembling roar filled the air. Taryn and Armin whipped their head around.

"There she is!" Armin yelped, pointing down. Taryn followed his finger and saw Mikasa kneeling on the ground, not moving.

"Grab her!"

Armin nodded and swooped down, roughly pulling Mikasa into his arm. With a grunt of effort, he managed to throw them both onto a nearby roof. They tumbled and rolled across the rough surface, collecting scratches along their arms and legs. Armin was sure he'd have a particularly large bruise on his thigh, where Mikasa's elbow had accidently dug.

Taryn landed neatly next to them.

"Mikasa! Are you alright?" she panted, helping the girl up. Mikasa nodded quietly. Taryn noted how oddly out of it she was.

"We've got to get out of here," Armin grunted, flinching when he tried to stand up.

The three paled when they felt, rather than heard, the large vibrations of a titan walking nearby. A fifteen-meter titan stood in front of their building. But it wasn't looking at them. Instead it seemed to be sizing something else up- something that was partially hidden by another building.

"What the hell?" Taryn scrunched her nose in confusion.

Almost as if trying to answer her question, a large figure stepped out from behind the building. Taryn's jaw dropped. She heard a sharp inhale of air from behind her and knew it was Armin. Mikasa's eyes widened, but other than that she didn't react.

Another fifteen-meter titan made its way towards the first titan. Except…this didn't look like a normal titan. It lacked the normal, dough like body of the titans. Muscles ran across its entire figure. It had long black locks and didn't have any lips.

Finally, she noticed the eyes. Those green eyes. Eyes filled with unquenchable rage. With that, Taryn gasped as she felt an almost familiar twinge in the back of her mind. It was like someone was trying to call her. Someone she knew. Furious yells filled her ears, echoing throughout her head. She dropped to her knees, squeezing her eyes shut and covering her ears. But the yells wouldn't disappear.

" _Kill…the…titans_." Those were the words repeatedly bouncing around her head.

"Taryn!" Armin shook her shoulder. "We have to go! Those titans migh-"

"Wait, Armin," Mikasa interrupted. The three watched the two titans. Taryn winced slightly, trying to ignore the pounding in her head.

The green-eyed titan gave a roar that shook her to her core and stood in a fighting stance. Within minutes, it had beaten the other titan to a pulp, knocking its head off and delivering a final blow to the nape of its neck.

The trio was speechless until Mikasa snapped them out of it.

"We need to get out of here and refill our gas tanks."

Taryn shared a look with Armin and saw his eyes light up as he formulated a plan.

"We can use the green-eyed titan to take out all the other titans at Headquarters!" he exclaimed brightly.

"But how-?" Mikasa began, only to have Taryn cut her off.

"Good idea, Armin. Since this titan seems to be only going after other titans with a fury that I've never seen before, we can take out all of the titans in this area. That will force it to search for other titans- basically those at Headquarters."

"Perfect!" Armin yelped, his eyes shining with excitement. "I can carry Mikasa with me- I have enough gas for the both of us," he added as an afterthought.

Taryn wanted to smile, but she couldn't. What with the voice bouncing around her mind and the loss of her brother breaking her heart, she still couldn't manage to feel anything. Armin took off the roof just as the green-eyed titan gave another bone rattling roar, steam pouring out from its nose. It turned around, looking for titans to kill before accidentally locking eyes with Taryn. It stopped short, and cocked its head sideways, as if studying her. A small gasp escaped Taryn's lips as she stared at those beautiful eyes.

She felt something wet run down her cheek.

"Wha-?" she mumbled, confused. She brought her hand to her face to rub away the irritant. It was a tear. She looked back up at the titan and it grunted softly.

"Taryn, come on!" Armin yelled, far ahead of her.

Taryn shook her head, trying to empty her mind of all thoughts besides their goal. She flew off the roof and turned her head back for one second. The green-eyed titan stared after her, its giant maw opened. Gurgles left its mouth, accompanied by a quiet whine. Taryn could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Why did she feel so connected to this titan? With a growl, she turned back around, determined to forget about the titan for the time being. It was more important to get to Headquarters.

* * *

 _ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR_

Taryn and a few other cadets covered their ears, wincing at the volume of the mighty roar that issued from the green-eyed titan. Armin, Mikasa and Taryn had safely made it to Headquarters just as their 3DMG ran out of fuel. Rounding up the other cadets, the trio had figured out a way to attack the titans in the fuel room. Sasha and Connie somehow failed to kill their titans, but luckily Annie and Mikasa had swooped in, saving them. Taryn was grateful for that. She didn't know how she would feel if she were to lose two more of her friends.

After refueling their gear, Taryn was accompanied by Annie, Bertholdt, Reiner, Mikasa, Jean and Armin. The group went up to a nearby rooftop to survey their surroundings, their confidence renewed to slay some more titans. But the sight that they were met with completely threw them off guard.

Giant, skeletal remains littered the streets. Steaming puddles of blood were splattered all over buildings. The green-eyed titan had slaughtered so many titans. There were hardly any left for the cadets to take down.

"Look," Armin whispered, pointing toward a building. The group watched as the green-eyed titan was backed up against the building. Titans were swarming around each other, each trying to eat the well-formed titan. He was missing both his arms.

"Oh no," Taryn mumbled softly, unable to believe it. Cannibalism. The titans were cannibalizing one of their own.

Suddenly, they heard heavy footsteps from behind them. Another huge fifteen-meter titan with a blond thatch of hair was making its way toward the titan bundle before him.

Taryn heard a gasp.

"Th-that's the deviant titan that killed Thomas!" Armin exclaimed.

"Devian-" Mikasa began to ask, but was cut off when the deviant titan jumped up and flew at the green-eyed titan.

Taryn was seized with fear. She couldn't let _her_ green-eyed titan die. She felt some connection with it, as crazy as it sounded.

"KILL HIM!" she shrieked, disregarding the presence of her friends around her.

The green-eyed titan turned and stared at her for a moment. Taryn held her breath. With a rumbling growl, he broke free from the mass of titans gnawing at its body, and caught the blond-haired titan's neck in his mouth. Equipped with jaws that could exert more force than a cannon shot, the green-eyed beast chomped down on the nape of its victim's neck, ending the deviant's existence.

The group of cadets stood still, unable to process what happened before them. While Armin and Mikasa were staring at the green-eyed titan, Annie, Bertholdt and Reiner were studying Taryn, their eyes wide with surprise.

Whimpering tiredly, the titan finally fell to his knees and flopped down in exhaustion, passing out.

* * *

"Why is it that when you get in trouble, I'm somehow pulled into it as well?" Taryn questioned her younger brother in a low growl.

Currently, the two of them were chained up to poles in the center of a large, grand room. Before them sat their judge, the man who was leader of all three regiments. The room was filled with people. On the left were the siblings' fellow soldiers, the Survey Corps and the Garrison Regiment while the right side was flooded with the Military Police and angry merchants.

Eren just stared as his sister with those wide green eyes. Taryn felt her breath hitch in her throat. She still couldn't believe that he was alive.

* * *

 **[Hours Before]**

After the green-eyed titan had collapsed, the trainees had watched in terrible fascination as a small figure tore itself from the nape of the titan's neck. The figure had dark messy brown hair and tan skin. Mikasa had recognized him before Taryn could even register what was happening.

The girl had yelled his name, swooping down from the rooftop, disregarding the yells of caution from around her. Taryn watched numbly as Mikasa hugged an unconscious Eren and cried. The elder Yeager girl looked around to see Jean and Armin staring in disbelief as Mikasa scooped Eren into her arms and brought him to the wall.

As soon as Mikasa had set Eren down on the wall top, Armin rushed over to the boy's side and held his hand, staring at both this limb and Eren's leg with tear-filled eyes.

Before Taryn could even make a move to embrace her little brother, she felt someone roughly grip her arm and pull her. She stumbled backwards into a solid figure.

"Taryn Yeager, you are currently being detained for suspicious behaviour and for possible treason against the monarchy."

Taryn looked up in shock and saw who her captor was- a tall man with brown hair that was slicked back and a matching beard. He didn't seem to understand the concept of being able to talk without yelling. His small beady eyes looked borderline psychotic.

"What the hell? Treason? I haven't done anything!" she yelped, trying her hardest to tug herself out of his grip.

The soldier's eyes just narrowed at her. Taryn looked at her friends helplessly. Reiner and Annie were glaring at the older soldier, fire dancing in their eyes. Bertholdt was even cracking his knuckles in a threatening manner.

"Taryn has done nothing wrong. What behaviour of hers could possibly be considered suspicious? She's only fought for the king- for the people!" Armin exclaimed, stepping forward.

"That's not your place to decide, trainee," the man sneered. A mumble of words drifted over to them. Everyone turned to see Eren murmuring nonsense in his unconscious state. The soldier's expression was immediately filled with disgust as he regarded the young boy in front of him. He turned to some soldiers waiting behind him.

"Lock the Yeager boy up as well. Multiple people have witnessed him transform into a titan. He is not even human," he spat.

Mikasa bared her teeth as the oncoming soldiers, ready to fight with them. Armin held her shoulder.

"Hold on, Mikasa. We need to see what they're going to do. Retaliating now will just ensure yours and Eren's deaths." Mikasa listened to her blond friend and backed down, removing her hand from the blades at her hips, but she did not relinquish her hold on Eren.

"Fine. But I _will_ stay with him," she hissed. The other soldiers looked towards their leader who just rolled his eyes.

* * *

The Yeager siblings were walking a fine line. Eren, Mikasa and Armin had almost been executed, but General Dot Pixis, the leader of the Garrison Regiment, stepped in last moment, saving their skins. He was a smart man but was normally seen drinking out of his flask and saying eccentric things.

Asking Eren to use his titan-form to plug the hole in Wall Maria was one of those. After sacrificing many lives, Eren had actually managed to seal the hole, claiming humanity's first victory against the titans in more than a century.

Of course, Taryn had no idea what was going on since she had been locked in a jail cell for the longest time.

Taryn was bored. So bored. And worried. She had been thrown into the dungeons below what she believed was the courthouse, silently awaiting judgment. Or not so silently.

"Gosh darn it!"

She rattled the bars of her confinement chamber, waiting for anyone to come down and give her news. No one came.

With a frustrated groan, she turned and fell face forward onto a small cot within the cell.

"Ouch!"

As she lay on her stomach, she could feel something digging into her ribcage. Curiously, she sat up and tried to figure out what had been poking her.

Her eyes widened as she remembered the small book she had stored in her jacket from earlier.

 _Holy crap…it survived the whole battle?_ Taryn plucked the book out from her inner jacket pocket and studied it carefully. There was not a single scratch on the book. No page was bent or torn.

"Thank you," she muttered in general to whatever deity existed. At least she now had something to stave off the boredom of waiting for news. Taryn sat with her legs crossed on the cot, her back leaning against the cold, hard wall of her cell. She opened the book and began reading again. Her eyes were constantly drawn to the notes in the margins. As she kept reading the notes, she began to realize how familiar these methods and strategies were to the ones that were currently used in the military formations.

"Taryn Yeager?"

Taryn nearly jumped out of her skin. She had been so absorbed with reading that she hadn't noticed someone walking down to her cell.

She immediately leapt off of the cot (the small book still gripped in her hand) and ran to the bars that separated her from the outside world.

"Yes! I'm here! Who's there?" she asked, squinting at the darkness of the dungeon hallway.

A tall man stepped into the dim light of one of the fire-lit torches. Taryn bit back a gasp. She knew who this man was.

Blond hair that was neatly styled in an undercut. Icy blue eyes that betrayed no emotions. A strong jawline that was clean-shaven. Thick eyebrows that were rumored to be insured for a year's worth of meat.

"You?" Taryn couldn't keep the confusion out from her voice. While she had no clue who would be dealing with her current circumstance, she had definitely not expected the commander of the Survey Corps to show up. Those cold eyes widened slightly with surprise before becoming expressionless once more.

"I am Commander Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps," he stated plainly.

"…I'm aware of that…" Taryn said slowly.

Taryn could have sworn that his eyes had flickered to the book in her hand. One of those thick eyebrows was raised, possibly questioning the impertinence of the girl standing before him, or perhaps he was surprised that she was allowed to have anything while in confinement.

"Miss Yeager, do you know why you're being held down here?" the Commander asked. Taryn studied the man, noting his perfect, yet slightly stiff, posture.

"I was told it was because I'm suspected of treason?" she asked. Erwin nodded. "Oh and suspicious behaviour," she added as an after thought.

Truth be told, while she knew she hadn't committed treason in any way, shape or form, she did have a good idea of what her "suspicious behaviour" might be. By the stern look on the commander's face, it seemed like he knew as well.

"Miss Yeager, " he began, "it seems that a few of the Garrison's soldiers witnessed you speaking to a titan, apparently ordering it to eat Cadet Arlert."

Taryn's jaw had dropped open. Erwin ignored this and continued.

"You were also seen commanding a titan, now acknowledged as your brother, Eren Yeager, to kill an individual. Both of these acts are seen, in the government's eyes, as acts of treason as it seems that you are encouraging the titan's slaughter against humanity."

Taryn honestly had no idea what to say.

"Commander, do you not hear the ridiculousness of the statement you just made?" she asked desperately.

He regarded her with cool eyes. "Enlighten me then, Miss Yeager."

"Please stop calling me that," she muttered lowly. "My mom's name was Miss Yeager. I'm just Taryn. I'm not that old, yet…"

Erwin remained silent, although Taryn could discern the slightest glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

"I wasn't telling any titan to eat anyone. I don't think titans can even understand human speech," she said, remaining calm on the outside. She could feel her stomach twisting with guilt at the slight lie.

"I was yelling in horror at the fact that one of my fellow cadets was going to lose his life. Armin is not just my childhood friend- he's like a little brother to me. It's only natural to scream random things while being paralyzed completely by fear. Also, to both of our surprise, the titan seemed distracted by something else, setting Armin down and then walking away."

Erwin had watched her closely during her small speech. While the girl kept a good poker face, he could see her worrying her lower lip with her teeth- a typical sign of nervousness. She was also fidgeting with the book between her hands. That book…as she continued to speak, Erwin tried to figure out why she had that book with her. He had recognized it immediately. Deciding that it wasn't of important at the moment, he stored it at the back of his mind, reminding himself to ask her about it later.

"As for the second thing I've been charged with, yes, I did say 'kill him' to the green- eyed titan. I said it in reference to the deviant titan that was going to attack him. Also, I didn't know that the titan was Eren at the time. You see, I was busy trying to cope with what I thought was the loss of my little brother, so please excuse me for actually daring to show some emotion during the battle."

Taryn concluded her spiel with a scowl.

Commander and cadet stared at each other for a span of a few minutes. Blue eyes locked on brown, trying to decipher the truth. Erwin Smith was a fairly good judge of character, but at the moment he was having a slightly difficult time with this girl. It wasn't because she was hard to read but because she herself seemed to be confused about what the truth was.

"And that is your account of what happened today?" he asked, watching her response with hawk-like eyes.

She nodded. "Yes, Commander."

Erwin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Indeed. You will remain here until your trial. Your brother will be attending the trial alongside you. The Military Police want you both. We believe that you two may be of use to humanity, so we will try our best to bring you to the Survey Corps."

"And if the Military Police manage to get us?"

"They'll kill you."

Taryn didn't loose her calm expression, but Erwin could see her turn a few shades paler, even in the dim light of the dungeon.

"We will be back for you later," Erwin said, turning to leave.

"Wait! Commander!" Taryn cried.

Erwin paused and turned back to look at her. He nodded, allowing her to speak.

"H-how is Eren?" she asked, her voice small.

"Your brother has helped humanity win its first fight in this titan-run world."

Taryn felt a tiny smile grace her lips. Her brother had helped so much.

"Can I see him?"

Erwin shook his head. "He is currently being held in a separate, more fortified dungeon. Captain Ackerman is monitoring him."

 _Ackerman? Like,_ Levi _Ackerman?_ Taryn thought in confusion. She relayed her thoughts to the Commander.

"Yes. No doubt you know of Captain Ackerman's title as 'Humanity's Strongest Soldier', so rest assured that your brother is in very capable hands."

Taryn nodded with some relief. At least it was Levi. She wondered if Eren had peed himself with excitement yet.

Erwin turned once more to leave.

"Thank you, Erwin," Taryn called after him. He replied without breaking his stride or missing a beat.

"You're welcome, _Miss_ Yeager."

"Fuck you," Taryn muttered under her breath. As he left, she could hear the softest of the Commander's chuckles echoing throughout the dungeon.

* * *

 **[Present- At the Courthouse]**

"I'm sorry," Eren whispered, hanging his head and refusing to look at his sister. Taryn felt her heart break.

"I was just kidding, Eren!" she hastily amended. "Well at least we're not being eaten by titans, right?" she grinned trying to insert some humor into the situation. Eren just stared at her, questioning his sister's sanity (or lack thereof).

"Damn it. I'm sorry, Eren. That wasn't funny…"

He shrugged and opened his mouth to speak right, but the judge, Generalissimo Zacklay cut him off.

"Will a representative of the Military Police please make their argument," he bellowed.

A stringy looking man with narrow eyes stepped forward. He was followed by a few merchants and other Military Policemen.

"Chief Nile Dawk on behalf of the Military Police, sir. We deem Eren and Taryn Yeager to be threats to humanity. Eren Yeager is a titan! How do we not know that he only disguised himself as a human to come and destroy us from the inside? As for his sister, she was seen communicating with titans! She even ordered the death of one of her fellow comrades."

Taryn growled when the man forgot to mention that comrade whose death she had "commanded" was still alive and watching both the Yeager siblings with wide eyes.

"It is also a possibility that Taryn Yeager is a titan as well. In lieu of this information, we the Military Police and Merchant Association, ask that the Yeager siblings be handed over to the Military Police to be dealt with."

Taryn shuddered at the words "dealt with". They were code for "to be killed".

"Thank you, Nile. Now, who is speaking for the Survey Corps?"

" I am, sir." Erwin stood up, his eyes glued to the judge before him.

"Ah, Commander Erwin Smith! Please present your argument then, sir," the judge said.

Erwin nodded with respect and then spoke.

"We, the Survey Corps, officially ask Eren and Taryn Yeager to join us, to use their titan powers and help us return Wall Maria back to humanity. That is all I have to say."

Taryn and Eren stared at the Commander, their mouths hanging open. In fact everyone in the courtroom looked surprised.

 _That's it_? Taryn thought with shock.

"Er- is that all, Commander?" the judge asked, surprise shown by the fact that his bushy white eyebrows had disappeared under his hair.

Erwin nodded once again.

"With their titan powers, it would be possible for us to retake Wall Maria. I think that the preferable option would be clear in this case."

The judge seemed intrigued, although he cleverly disguised it under a mask of indifference.

"So then, Erwin, where do you plan to conduct your mission to this time?" he asked, steepling his fingers under his magnificent, snowy white beard.

Taryn watched in awe as the Commander quickly summed up his plan, keeping it short yet very persuasive. He was playing the room very well- all except for the Military Police of course. Nile looked like he was going to blow a fuse any moment.

Immediately, all the merchants and soldiers began arguing. There was shouting and screaming. Even Mikasa was brought into the argument, as the soldiers began using the time Eren had accidentally lost control as a titan and attacked her, as grounds for how dangerous he really was. Taryn could see her brother slowly losing his patience. She winced. The Yeager short-temper family trait was surfacing in him. She only hoped he wouldn't get too mad. No such luck.

He yelled at everyone, drawing their attention to him. He scowled at their manner of doing things and shouted at them to stop arguing and to just trust in him. When he was done with his spiel, his eyes widened, realizing what he had done.

Taryn rolled her eyes.

 _Now you've gone and done it, little brother._

Before she could quietly reprimand Eren, a shadow passed by them and the next thing Taryn knew, Eren had been kicked viciously.

 _Wha-?_ Taryn couldn't register what was going on.

She watched a tooth fly out of his mouth, a spray of blood following. In fact, a few droplets landed on her face and clothes.

Levi Ackerman was standing next to Eren, beating and kicking him to bloody pulp. He even smashed Eren's face to the ground, stepping on his head to keep the boy in place. Taryn could feel her blood pressure rising. She was sure Mikasa was seeing red.

"Mikasa, no!" she heard Armin cry nearby, presumably holding her foster-sister back from jumping to Eren and fighting to the death with Levi.

Even the Military Police and merchants looked slightly sickened and scared.

"Captain Levi, wait!" cried Nile.

Levi looked at him with his trademark expression of unconcern.

"What is it?" he asked with a bored voice, almost as if discussing the weather with Nile. The Chief of the Military Police gulped nervously.

"T-that's dangerous…what if he transforms into a titan out of anger and kills us all?"

Levi raised an eyebrow.

"Tch- weren't you going to dissect them? Kill them?"

Nile was sweating now.

"You won't really be able to, Nile. In that case, if he really were to transform, he has enough intelligence to oppose the Military Police- and that would spell a lot of trouble for you. Taryn Yeager could call all the titans from outside the wall and command them to kill you all. She could even have the ability to summon the sixty-meter titan again. Could you really fight them all?" the short captain asked.

Erwin stepped forward.

"Generalissimo Zacklay, I have a proposition." The blonde man stared at the judge, his icy blue eyes not perturbed at all by the violence inflicted on the young boy before him.

The judge nodded.

"There are a lot of things we don't know about Eren and Taryn's powers, which will always make them a potential threat. But, in the case that the Yeager siblings are put under our watch, Corporal Levi will be able to take counter-measures if necessary."

Taryn shuddered at those words. _Take counter-measures_ …another way of saying _kill them_.

Nile began questioning Erwin again, this time with more curiosity than distaste. The judge listened solemnly to the Commander's replies.

After a few more minutes, the judge cleared his throat.

"It's decided then. Eren and Taryn Yeager are to be placed in the hands of the Scouting Legion. However, they are to return here again, depending on the mission results."

With those words, the court was dismissed. Taryn could feel relief flooding her. So they weren't going to be killed on the spot! Eren's bruised and bloodied face showed some relief as well.

* * *

As Taryn looked around the courtroom, she spotted a pair of beautiful hazel eyes staring straight at her.

"Luka," she murmured. He was still alive! Her heart pounded in her chest. But the excitement she felt as seeing the boy immediately disappeared when she considered her position. He would probably find her vile and disgusting like everyone else saw her. She couldn't even blame him.

She hesitantly looked at him once more and to her surprise, he offered her a small smile. His eyes were as warm as when he had kissed her before they left for battle. Her heart picked up speed again.

Maybe he didn't hate her?

"Come on, brat," Levi grouched, pushing her from behind, breaking her eye contact with Luka.

"Ouch! Quite shoving!" she yelped. Levi ignored her.

 _Hardly a few inches taller than me, yet he acts as if he were ten times my size_ , she growled in her head. Stupid short man.

The Yeager siblings followed Commander Erwin and Levi into a small room. It had a nice sized window in the wall, making the room seem bright and cheery. Eren seated himself gingerly on a couch backed up against a wall.

An excitable woman with messy brown hair and rectangular glasses, whom Taryn had learned was named Hanji, bounded forward happily.

"Eren! Open wide! Let's see the damage Levi did to you!" she chirped.

At this, Taryn glared at the aforesaid man. He ignored her once again and walked over to sit beside Eren.

As Hanji squabbled excitedly while checking over Eren (her exclamations punctuated by insults from Levi every so often), Taryn found herself drifting over to the Commander. She stood next to him, wondering what he was thinking about.

"Um, Commander?" she began awkwardly. What do you say to the man that just saved both your and your brother's lives?

"Yes, Miss Yeager?" he asked, looking down at her.

Taryn frowned. She hadn't realized how tall this man actually was. He was a giant. She was one hundred percent sure that he experienced different weather from her.

"I just wanted to thank you for helping me and Eren. It means a lot. I promise that we'll serve the Survey Corps to the best of our ability!"

"Of course you will, brat," Levi drawled, catching onto their conversation from across the room. "If you don't, I'll _personally_ end you."

Taryn didn't know whether to get angry or feel frightened at the short man's words. She looked at her brother and saw an expression of awe light up his features as he watched Levi.

She rolled her eyes. Of course the idiot hero-worshipped the shorty.

"Sure, sure," she replied. Erwin flashed her a grin before walking over to Eren. He knelt down before the boy and offered his hand. Eren took it hesitantly.

"You really did speak your mind out there. You also took the pain that was necessary for our goal with dignity. You have my respect, Eren Yeager. It's nice to meet you- let's get along from now on."

Eren stared at the Commander, his jaw hanging open. Adoration colored those green eyes.

"Shut your mouth, Eren. You'll catch flies," Taryn grinned.

"Eh? Oh wow! You guys! You guys!" Hanji squealed as she peered into Eren's open maw.

"What is it, Shitty Glasses?"

"Levi! His tooth! It's growing back!" Everyone stared at Eren curiously. The boy in question kept his mouth open, his face turning pink with embarrassment.

"Argh! There are so many experiments I want to run on you, Eren!" Hanji yelped, jumping up and down in excitement. "First, we'll have to test your pain tolerance…then we'll see if you can regenerate bigger limbs…and then…"

With each word that came from Hanji's lips, Taryn noticed her brother turning paler and paler.

The corner of Erwin's lips twitched.

"Welcome to the Survey Corps, you two."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, violence, and sexual scenes (eventually).

 **A/N:** I truly appreciate the reviews, follows and favourites. They really motivate me to write more and they make me smile like an idiot for the rest of the day. So please keep reviewing and leaving suggestions- they really help!

Just a really quick note, the little song I have written out below in the introduction blob thingy is actually a song composed by a YouTuber (NateWantstoBattle) who writes English covers for a lot of anime OP and ED songs. This is an original song for _Five Nights at Freddy's_ , a horror video game. I promise you, it's amazing- he's amazing- so go check him out (and check out the song- it's fantastic)!

One more note, one of the couples that I'll be swinging back to again and again is Petra x Auruo. There aren't enough fics about these two out there, but I think that they are the most adorable pairing. Not convinced? Well go read **"The Sunlight Girl"**. The author of this wonderful fic, _cellostargalactica_ , bless her heart, is such an amazing writer and her story served as a huge inspiration for me when writing this specific pairing in my story.

 **Guests:** **I wish you weren't anonymous so I can thank you properly, but regardless, thank you for your support! You're both lovely!**

 **Dareaderreads: Ahh, it's so nice to hear from you again! Thank you for putting up with my writing! I also loved that scene- it was so gosh-darned emotional.**

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Three: Masks of Different Kinds

 _"_ _It's what we're made to do,_

 _You act like we're to blame._

 _Wear a mask to hide yourself,_

 _When really it makes us the same."_

 _(Mangled- Nathan Smith)_

* * *

Taryn sat on the couch of the now empty room. The only other person with her was Eren. The two siblings were lounging about, waiting for the Survey Corps soldiers to return and give them orders. Levi, Erwin and Hanji had left immediately to begin making preparations for the journey ahead.

Suddenly struck by the events that had transpired in the last (who knew how many) hours, Taryn began to giggle. Eren stared at his sister, once again finding himself questioning her sanity.

"…Taryn?" he asked cautiously.

She continued to laugh. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were tinged with pink. Pretty soon, Eren found himself chuckling as well. It didn't take long for both Yeager siblings to end up on the floor, rolling around in hearty laughter.

"D-damn it!" Taryn wheezed between laughs, tears streaming down her face.

"Why are we e-even l-laughing?" Eren asked, gasping for air.

"Because we're still alive. We're freaks, Eren!"

At this reality, their laughter ended quite abruptly as they sobered up.

"Freaks…we're connected to the things we hate the most…" Taryn whispered somberly. Eren sighed and scooted up to sit beside his sister. Even though she was older than him, he was much taller than her. She rested her head on his shoulder, hiccupping slightly.

"We still have each other," he murmured, placing a small kiss on the top of her curly hair. Taryn smiled ever so slightly at the gesture. Eren wasn't a very outwardly affectionate person, so even just this small physical gesture meant so much to her. She hadn't lost her little brother yet.

"Eren!"

The door was shoved open, hitting the wall and shaking the room. Taryn honestly thought it would fall off of its hinges. A wild looking Mikasa raced in, her grey eyes darting rapidly around the room, searching desperately for the one person in her life who basically _was_ her life.

Eren quickly stood up, his movement catching Mikasa's attention. She stared at him, tears threatening to spill from those rarely expressive eyes.

"Eren…" she whispered, his name falling from her lips like a prayer that has been held in for too long. Caught under the intense stare of his foster sister, Eren could feel his cheeks heating up with a blush. Taryn watched as his ears turned red too. She had to suppress a chuckle as she stood up as well.

"I-uh. I have to step out for a moment, so…I'll leave you two for a moment."

As she walked passed Mikasa, Taryn rested a soft hand on her foster sister's shoulder, trying to convey a lot through that one touch. Mikasa smiled gratefully at the smaller girl, understanding everything.

And with that, Taryn stepped outside and closed the door behind her, glad to be out of the storm of emotions that threatened to engulf her brother and Mikasa.

* * *

"…Hey Mikasa," Eren said quietly, his green eyes fixed on the girl standing before him.

With two large steps, Mikasa had closed the gap between the two and wrapped her arms tightly around Eren.

She pressed her face tightly into the crook of his neck, deeply inhaling his scent. It reminded her of the days when they were younger. When everyone else was fast asleep in their own rooms, she would sneak into his bed and cuddle next to him, immediately feeling calmer in his presence. Eren never protested or kicked her out. Instead he would just hold her tighter against his small body, allowing his soothing scent to wash over her and drive her nightmares away.

To his shock, he felt a warm liquid wet his neck. Was Mikasa crying? He had never seen her cry before… Not since her parents had died…

"A-are you okay?" he asked nervously, awkwardly patting her back. If there was one thing Eren was bad at, it was comforting people.

 _Er…what would Taryn do_? he thought frantically.

She would probably smack him on the head and scold him, telling him to make Mikasa feel comfortable.

With this in mind, he turned those awkward pats into rubbing soothing circles on her back. Her sniffling subsided, but she still kept her head tucked against his neck. Eren's cheeks were still red, especially from feeling Mikasa's firm body resting flush against his. Scared that his thoughts could potentially move into unholy territory, Eren quickly yet gently pried Mikasa off of him, holding her at an arms length away from him.

 _She's your sister, relax_ , he told himself, taking deep breaths.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"It's just…you're alive," she whispered. Eren's pride was slightly wounded.

"Well of course I'm alive…" he scowled.

"And I'm glad! I was just so worried when I couldn't protect you! And when Armin told me that a titan had killed you, I kept thinking about how it was all my fault because I wasn't there with you…to keep you from dying…"

Eren could feel himself getting angry. Even though he knew Mikasa meant well, every word she said was like a huge blow to his ego.

"For fuck's sake, would you stop, Mikasa?" he exclaimed angrily. Mikasa's eyes widened with surprise and hurt.

"Eren, I-"

"I'm not some helpless kid! I don't need protection from a girl like you, Mikasa!"

His words were like a slap to her face. She was silent, unsure of what to say. Still fuming, Eren turned away from her, his eyes squeezed shut.

"I need some air," he muttered before stomping out of the room and slamming the door shut and leaving behind a very distraught Mikasa.

* * *

After Taryn had left the room, she silently congratulated herself for being such a subtly tactful human being. Unfortunately her little brother was as thick as they came and terrible with girls, so yes, it would take a bit of a push and shove to make him see Mikasa in a different light. Goodness knows Mikasa was already head over heels in love with the titan-boy.

She slid down the brick wall, seating herself on the floor, patiently awaiting the return of her Survey Corps leaders.

"Taryn?" a voice called from her right.

Taryn felt her heart clench at the voice. Butterflies assaulted her stomach. Footsteps came closer and closer to her until they stopped right in front of her seated form. The boots situated in front of her were very clean and well polished.

She raised her head slowly only to meet the eyes of her own love interest.

"H-hey, Luka," she managed to stammer. Regardless of the warm smile he had sent her in the courtroom, Taryn was still wary of what his reaction to her would be.

He regarded her with those hazel eyes that made her heat up from head to toe. She stood up so that she could look at him better without having to crane her neck. The minute she straightened herself, she felt him envelop her with strong arms. She was shocked.

Luka buried his face into her hair, pressing multiple kisses onto the crown of her head. Each kiss sent electric tingles down her spine. She reluctantly pulled back to face him.

He had a few scratches on his face and a cut under his eye, but for the most part he looked as handsome and healthy as ever.

"You're…you're not disgusted with me?" she asked quietly, the surprise evident in her voice.

Luka's eyes widened.

"Of course not! I mean, I'm definitely surprised, but no, not disgusted. Never with you."

The tiny girl couldn't stop the slow grin that had spread over her lips. Luka smiled in response and leaned down, touching his forehead with hers.

"I'm just so happy you're still alive," he murmured.

His sweet breath swept around her, making her feel calm and relaxed. She found herself staring at his lips, wondering how they would feel again. As if he could read her thoughts (although it was more likely that he was just thinking the same thing), Luka brought his mouth closer and closer to hers. Taryn could feel her heart beating faster and faster, practically trying to rip itself out of her chest. His pink tongue darted out to moisten his lips- those adorably chapped lips- before he-

"Fuck, fuck fuck!"

Immediately, Taryn and Luka jumped apart, separating themselves by at least three feet. Luka's face was as red as Mikasa's scarf. Taryn had somehow managed to school her expression into something that resembled a mix of concern and indifference.

Eren stormed away from the door, blinded by anger and ended up walking straight into Taryn.

"Woah! Slow down there, Eren!" she chuckled, grabbing a hold of his shoulders.

"Let go of me," he grumbled, wrenching himself out of her grasp and storming away.

 _Oh, brother…Poor Mikasa…_ Taryn thought sadly to herself. She was sure that the girl was still frozen in shock behind the shut door. Although she would have wanted to comfort her foster sister, Taryn was well aware of Mikasa's desire for privacy in situations like this.

"You're just going to let him go?" Luka asked, eyeing the boy's retreating figure in disbelief.

Taryn glanced at the still pink face of the handsome soldier and smiled.

"When he's mad, nothing helps more than just letting him cool off somewhere. Quick tempers run in the Yeager blood," she said with a shrug.

At this, Luka grinned slyly and stepped closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her against his lean body once more.

"So, it won't take much for me to rile you up then?" he asked in a husky whisper. Taryn blushed and smacked his shoulder.

"Pervert!" she yelped. Luka just chuckled and bent down, ready to try to steal a kiss from her again. She closed her eyes, her mouth tingling with anticipation-

"Yeager! Weber! You'd better keep those horny paws to yourselves!"

Once again, the couple was forced to jump apart. Luka let out a low groan of frustration. Captain Levi walked down the hallway towards them, his nose scrunched up. Erwin was behind him, walking at a slightly slower pace. Taryn watched as those icy blue eyes of his flickered from herself to Luka, putting two and two together. If he had any opinion about it though, he kept it to himself.

"If you want to fuck, you'd better do it on your own time. And since Yeager is now officially part of the Survey Corps, she has no time to do anything but train and shit, which means no fucking at all. Got it?"

Luka grimaced at the small man's distasteful choice of words, but said nothing. Taryn just rolled her eyes, already used to the captain's potty-mouth. She had discovered that deep down, he had a soft spot for toilet-related humour. It amused her to no end to know that he derived some pleasure from these weird jokes.

"Speaking of shitty brats," Levi said while his eyes shifted around the area, "…where is he?" he asked Taryn.

Taryn knew which "he" the captain was talking about. There was only one brat she knew of.

"I honestly don't know, Captain."

"Tch- that brat always makes everyone do more work than necessary…" he growled. "Weber. With me. We're going to go find and drag back that brat. Yeager, stay with Commander Erwin."

Erwin smoothly stepped forward to stand beside Taryn.

"Weber, come," Levi said, clucking his tongue in impatience.

Luka didn't want to leave Taryn yet- especially not before being able to kiss her one more time. But the captain wouldn't give him that opportunity. With a heavy heart, he quickly walked up to Taryn and before Levi could protest, he pressed his lips softly to her cheek.

"I'll wait for you," he murmured against her skin.

Although that was one of the corniest things Taryn had ever heard, for some reason, it really touched her. This boy should have run screaming away from her, hating her for her connection to the titans; yet, he warmly accepted her in an open embrace, even promising to wait for her.

Levi rolled his eyes at the gesture.

"Weber, I won't ask you again."

His hazel eyes filled with sadness, Luka turned away from Taryn and followed the short captain into the dark hallway. Taryn just stared after their retreating figures wistfully, cursing the damned titans who had taken so much from her.

They took away her mother, and possibly her father. They took away her and Eren's childhoods. They took away Eren's innocence. And now, they were taking away the precious time she could be spending with the boy who cared for her.

Heaving a sigh, Taryn turned to face Erwin. She was surprised to see him studying her in a very intense manner. Those blue eyes seemed to be trying to peer into the depths of her very soul. She flinched back slightly.

"Sir?" she asked, breaking her eye contact with him and carefully studying the lapels of his shirt.

"Follow me, Miss Yeager. We'll meet up with Squad Leader Hanji and the horses outside."

Taryn quirked an eyebrow curiously. The Commander's tone was as cool as his eyes. From the little interaction she'd had with him, Taryn considered the Commander to be quite amiable, even if he was intimidating- he was the leader of the Survey Corps after all, so intimidation and strength were a given.

Without waiting for a response, he turned around and began walking outside. Taryn followed a few steps behind, trying to figure out what caused a sudden switch in the Commander's mood.

What she didn't know was that the Commander was currently having an internal argument with himself. He had noticed the warmth and affection between the girl and the other cadet. The boy looked like he was completely in love with her and it seemed like she cared for him as well. He frowned ever so slightly at the thought.

Love was dangerous, especially in these times.

Even though didn't know the girl so well yet, he did feel slightly protective of and responsible for her. He had wanted to admonish her for treading the dangerous territory of falling in love with someone in the middle of a blood-filled battle, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She was human after all- she wasn't like him…cold, unfeeling and completely numb to the world. She exuded warmth, snark and colour- everything he didn't have.

"Are you alright, Commander?"

He heard her soft voice sound from next to him. Erwin's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He hadn't noticed the heavy sigh that escaped his lips, but apparently she had. Her large brown eyes were peering at him in timid concern, studying him, yet unable to break past the emotionless mask he wore at all times.

He gave her a small, forced smile.

"I'm fine."

* * *

When Taryn and Erwin finally reached Hanji and the horses, Taryn noticed that there were a few other soldiers standing with some horses as well.

"This is the Special Operations Squads for the Survey Corps. They're the best of the best," Erwin explained quickly.

There was small woman, who was just slightly taller than Taryn, with short, strawberry blonde hair and the sweetest face Taryn had ever seen. She walked over to talk to Taryn.

"Hello! My name is Petra. It's nice to meet you," she offered with a soft smile.

"Oh, uh, hello," Taryn stuttered.

One other soldier had wandered over to Taryn and Petra. He looked kind of old in Taryn's opinion, and he had the grumpiest expression. His ash-blonde hair was styled in a messy undercut

"Why're you stuttering, brat?" he sneered. "What's wrong, cat got your tong- ARGH, FUCK!"

"Auruo!" Petra reprimanded, glaring at him furiously, but poor Auruo was too busy trying to deal with the pain of biting his tongue for what seemed to be the umpteenth time.

"That's what you get for trying to imitate Levi," the strawberry blonde muttered under her breath.

Auruo rolled his eyes. "I on't know wha ou 'alkin 'bout," he managed to say through a mouth full of blood. Petra just ignored him and shot an apologetic glance toward Taryn.

"Just ignore him. My name's Eld," said a tall man who was already atop his horse. Taryn blushed. He was quite good looking with blonde hair neatly tied in a bun and a small beard.

"And I'm Gunther," said another man who was also mounted on his horse. He rode forward and stopped next to Eld, looking down at Taryn with firm, yet welcoming brown eyes.

Taryn smiled hesitantly. "Hello everyone. It's really nice to meet you all. I look forward to fighting alongside you."

Everyone, with the exception of Auruo, who was trying to nurse his tongue and pride back to health, smiled warmly at Taryn. Unfortunately, the warm atmosphere was broken not even a few moments later.

"Let go of me!"

Taryn sighed, knowing who it was before even turning around. Sure enough, there was Levi, dragging her little brother out from the castle, holding him by his ear. He pulled the titan-boy all the way to the nearest horse before letting go of his now-red ear. Eren rubbed his ear and muttered a stream of curses (most presumably directed towards Levi) under his breath.

"You're all acquainted now. Fantastic. Let's move the fuck on before this brat has another teenage emotional breakdown and runs off," Levi growled, his grey eyes filled with displeasure.

The rest of them mounted their horses, pulling their forest green capes over their heads. Taryn loved the feel of the capes; they were airy yet warm, protecting her from the light breeze of the day while keeping her from sweating. Eren was practically hidden under his cape.

Taryn hesitated before getting on her black stallion. While everyone else was distracted by Eren, who was somehow magnificently failing to sit on his steed properly (much to Levi's irritation), the young girl quickly turned around to see that the Commander wasn't getting on a horse. She cocked her head to the side, wondering why. Erwin caught her staring at him and walked over to stand by her.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Um," Taryn could not look him in the eye. She wanted to mutter a quick 'thank you' for everything he'd done for her and Eren, but apparently her mouth decided differently.

"…Are you not coming with us?"

Internally, she blanched. _Argh! That's not what I meant to say!_ She other things to say, to thank him for, but all the words got caught in her throat for some strange reason. She shook her head in disappointment and turned around, not willing to face Erwin.

"I will remain behind for a while and then join you later on," he said without revealing too many details.

Taryn nodded. She attempted to get on her horse, struggling to put her foot in the stirrup to mount the creature.

 _I hate being short_ , she cursed in her head.

Suddenly, she felt something press under her left foot, giving her the firm boost she needed to get up on the tall stallion. After swinging her leg over the saddle and safely seating herself on the horse, she looked down to see Erwin dusting his hands off. He caught her looking at him and sent her a gentle smile, a genuine one that seemed to reach his eyes for once.

The sight of that actually took her breath away.

 _Wow. No wonder they call him "Commander Handsome"_ , she mused. But she shook those thoughts away, preferring to think about the attractive, hazel-eyed cadet who made her body heat up and her heart pound- the boy who was waiting for her.

* * *

The ride to the castle, which served as the former Headquarters for the Scouting Legion, was fairly uneventful. Taryn rode up front between Eld and Gunther. She immediately took a liking to the two, enjoying their individual personalities. Eld was more serious and quiet while Gunther was a lot more outgoing and talkative.

They had fun telling each other stories. Behind them were Auruo and Petra, and riding at the back were Eren and Levi. Currently, Auruo was holding his mouth, cursing his habit of biting his tongue.

Auruo had been harassing Eren, as he tended to do, much to the chagrin of Petra.

"You got what you deserved," Petra sighed in a low voice that only Auruo could hear. Auruo rolled his eyes and spat out some blood on the dirt path.

"I had to make an authoritative first impression on the brat, Petra," he huffed. "I mean, he was scared shitless just because I bit my tongue!"

"I think it's because he was surprised at how much of an idiot you are, Auruo," she shot back.

"Whatever, doesn't change anything," the older man muttered.

Petra scrunched her nose.

"Auruo, what happened to you? Why can't you talk normally like you did in the past?" she pleaded.

Auruo didn't answer, choosing to spit some more blood out of his mouth instead.

"If you're trying to copy Levi, please…stop… you're not like him at all," she whispered softly. At this, Auruo glared at her.

"That's right. I'll never be like him- never good enough for you," he hissed before tapping his horse lightly on the flank with his foot, urging it to move forward and away from the strawberry- blonde.

Petra stared at him, dumbfounded.

 _Never good enough for me?_

* * *

"I hate him," Taryn muttered for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Hey! He's not that bad!" Eren exclaimed. His sister just rolled her eyes.

"Just because you practically worship him, Eren…"

"Less worshipping, more cleaning, brats!" Levi exclaimed, his cloth covered face peeking in from the doorway. Taryn couldn't believe it. The short captain was an absolute clean freak!

The sibling duo was currently working on the upper floors of the castle. Since the castle hadn't been used in years (decades more likely), it was covered in dirt, dust and cobwebs. Taryn threw the broom she had been using to sweep the floor against the wall and sighed tiredly.

"Well, I'm finished."

Eren wiped his hand across his sweaty forehead and nodded. "I think I'm finished too. Let's go tell the captain."

The two made their way to the lower level of the castle and found Levi standing by an open window. Taryn had to stifle a chuckle at the man's get-up. While still clothed in his military uniform, except for the jacket, he had on a crisp, white bandana, covering up his silky black hair. Another white cloth covered half of his face, from his nose to his chin. He looked oddly adorable, but Taryn would never say that- she valued her life too much.

"We finished cleaning the upper level, sir," Eren said in a timid voice. Levi turned around to study the duo with a hard gaze.

"Hm. Okay, start working on this room then."

"Yes sir," Eren answered. Taryn just shot a glare at the short captain, which he ignored as usual.

"Oh wait! Where are sleeping, sir?" Eren asked.

"You'll sleep in the dungeon, Eren. Taryn, you have a room on the upper level by Eld and Gunther."

"A dungeon again?" Eren asked in surprise.

"Wait. Why am I being separated from Eren?" Taryn asked, her voice slightly strained with anxiety.

Levi rolled his eyes.

"It was a part of the agreement that we would keep Eren in the dungeon should he accidentally turn into a titan. As for the separation, we also agreed to that since everyone seems to think that you two might conspire to destroy humanity if you're within three feet of each other."

Taryn's eye twitched.

"Anyways, start cleaning." With that, Levi stepped out of the room, leaving behind two very disappointed siblings.

Later that evening, the whole Special Operations Squad gathered in the room adjoined to Eren's dungeon room. They all sipped on a sweet tea that Levi had prepared. Taryn had been surprised to learn, from Petra, that Levi loved tea. Apparently, it was once his dream to own a teashop. Taryn couldn't imagine that, but hey, who was she to judge?

"I heard that a large scale expedition to the outer lands is being set up right now," Eld said calmly. "Also, we're getting some freshly graduated recruits joining us as well."

Taryn's heart flipped. She had forgotten about all the other recruits! She knew Armin and Mikasa would undoubtedly join the Survey Corps. She wondered who else would join this doomed legion.

 _"_ _I'll wait for you_. _"_ Luka's words flew through her head, causing her to shiver slightly. Would he join the Survey Corps for her? She shook her head. A part of Taryn didn't want him to join, for his own sake.

"Is the news about the expedition true, Levi?" Petra asked.

Levi swirled his tea around in the cup, staring deep into the murky liquid.

"Strategizing doesn't fall under my responsibilities. It's up to him since he's always a few steps ahead of us."

Taryn didn't need to question who this "him" was.

"GOOD EVENING, LEVI'S SQUAD!"

Eren and Taryn jumped out of their seats. An excitable Hanji burst into the room, a wide grin on her face. She raced over to stand by Eren, tripping and knocking over his tea in the process.

"Wahh! I'm sorry, Eren!" she yelled as the tea fell on his lap (his crotch really) burning him slightly. Eren hissed in pain.

"Dumbfuck…" Levi muttered under his breath.

Instead of getting tissues to help him clean up, Hanji leaned over to stare at Eren's crotch, studying it intensely.

"Ah…Squad Leader?" Eren asked nervously, fidgeting in his seat slightly. Taryn stuffed her knuckles in her mouth to keep from snickering. Eld, who was sitting next to her, had a small grin on his face as well and Gunther's cheeks were pink with unreleased laughter. Petra just looked worried and Auruo was watching Petra, a soft grin unconsciously appearing on his lips.

"Hmm…" Hanji murmured and reached out to touch his crotch, which had light steam coming off of it.

"AHH! Squad Leader!" Eren shrieked, maneuvering out of her reach.

Hanji pouted.

"But Eren! This was a good learning moment to test your healing abilities!"

Eren blushed.

"You can do whatever experiment you want on me later, just please don't touch me right now," he squeaked in a very undignified manner.

Hanji's eyes took on a predatory glow.

" _Whatever_ experiment I want to do?" she asked in a hushed voice. Eren blanched, realizing the implications of his words.

"Wait I meant- well I- I'm busy tomorrow anyways, I'm sure!" Eren stammered, trying to fix his error.

Hanji looked at Levi. "What plans do you have for him tomorrow?" she asked.

"…cleaning the yard…" the captain deadpanned.

"Ah, so nothing then! Fantastic! Well then I'll see you tomorrow!" Hanji crowed happily, getting up to leave.

"If I may ask, what kind of experiment are you conducting, Squad Leader Hanji?" Taryn asked curiously.

"You idiot! Don't ask her that! Not that!" Auruo spat angrily.

Hanji turned back to the group, her eyes dark with excitement. "Ah yes. You do seem to have that spark of curiosity within you!"

"Great…now you've done it," he muttered. With those words, everyone at the table, except for Taryn and Eren, got up to leave. Eld patted Taryn sympathetically on the shoulder and mouthed a quick "Good luck".

Hanji remained seated, her fingers folded neatly under her chin. A smile as wide as a titan's leer shone prominently on her face.

"Well, I'll tell you all about my experiments."

Hanji launched into her wild tale. Eren nodded off within ten minutes, resting his head on Taryn's shoulder. Soft snores left his mouth.

Taryn however was engrossed in the woman's story. She talked about the titans they had captured, a four meter titan and a seven meter one, each named Sonny and Bean respectively. She had tied them down and had performed a number of experiments on them, ranging from figuring out their pain tolerance to seeing how they reacted to sun deprivation.

As Hanji told Taryn everything, Taryn noticed how Hanji spoke about the titans as if they were her children. It was clear to see how passionate this woman was about the titans.

"Excuse me, Squad Leader," Taryn interrupted in the middle of one of the woman's musings. Hanji paused to look at Taryn.

"Oh, please just call me Hanji!" she exclaimed happily. Taryn nodded and continued.

"Are the tita- I mean Sonny and Bean, still alive?"

Hanji nodded. "Of course they are! I couldn't bare it if anything happened to them!" she claimed, beating her fist on her chest. She then shot a curious look to Taryn.

"Actually, Yeager, would you be interested in helping me out with these experiments? Given your titan-communication ability and the fact that Erwin told me you're quite intelligent, I think we could make a good research team!"

"Oh? The Commander said that?" Taryn asked, feeling surprised.

Hanji waved her hand dismissively.

"Yes, yes. He's a very perceptive man, but who cares about him. Would you be interested in meeting Sonny and Bean tomorrow?"

Taryn thought about it for a moment. She could finally study titans up close and personally! She wouldn't be considered a freak for being interested in them- or maybe she would be, but even Hanji was interested in them (correction: obsessed) yet people treated her with respect (mostly out of fear). Eld had told her a story about how the last time a soldier made fun of Sonny and Bean, Hanji threatened to shove a sharp looking scientific instrument up their ass. Jokes and insults about the two titans disappeared within minutes after Hanji's threats

 _Well as long as I don't threaten to sodomize people, I think I'll be fine_ , she thought to herself, feeling reassured.

"I would love to see them," she told Hanji warmly.

"Great! Tomorrow it is the- oh wait," Hanji paused and looked outside a nearby window. "Yay! It's already tomorrow!"

Taryn could feel her hands twitch. Hanji had talked her through everything, clear through the night. No rest for the weary.

"Oi. Eren. Wake up."

She shook her shoulder, jolting her brother's head.

"Hmm? Wazzhapenin?" he mumbled, snapping his head up. A long trail of drool ran down from the corner of his mouth. Dark circles plagued the space under his eyes. All in all, he looked like crap. Taryn was one hundred percent sure that she looked ten times worse. Somehow, Hanji managed to look excessively energized and awake.

"Let's go meet my babies!" Hanji squealed. She grabbed Taryn's hand and pulled her off of her chair sprinting out the doors.

"Wha- wait! Taryn!" Eren yelped, watching his sister get whisked away.

"You come too, Eren!" Hanji yelled over her shoulder. The young boy scrambled to get off the chair and sprinted after the two females.

 _This is going to be one hell of a time_ , he thought grimly to himself.

* * *

Hanji led the siblings to a large tent held up by wooden poles. A low rumbling could be heard from inside. As Taryn neared the tent, she immediately felt a strange shock in her mind.

"Ouch," she muttered, rubbing her head. A sudden rush of feelings ran through her- despair, hunger, anger, and anxiety…

"What is all of this?" She grabbed her head and shut her eyes tightly.

Hanji and Eren noticed this and ran to her.

"Taryn!" Eren exclaimed, grabbing his sister's shoulder and trying to shake her. Hanji watched with fascination. She seized the opportunity that had presented itself.

"Taryn. What are you feeling right now?" she asked excitedly.

"S- so much p-pain," Taryn trembled. The emotions were overwhelming.

"So you can connect with the titans," Hanji muttered to herself, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Eren, grab her hand and bring her into the tent," she barked.

"What? But Squad Leader! She's in pain!" he shot angrily.

Hanji ignored him. "Just bring her," she commanded again, walking through the tent's flaps.

Eren huffed in irritation. He didn't want to subject his sister to any more pain.

"Hey, we need to move," he said softly, grabbing onto her wrist. Her eyes were still scrunched shut, but she nodded.

"Yes. Yeah- they need me," she whispered. Eren's eyes widened.

 _They need her?_

She followed him willingly into the tent, her head still throbbing slightly at the wave of emotions that was abusing her poor brain. Hanji noticed that the two titans, who were originally trying to eat her, immediately focused their attention on Taryn when the girl walked into the tent. Their eyes followed her every move, yet neither of them tried to reach out to eat her as they did with every other human who came close by.

"Sonny! Bean! This is Taryn! She's my new friend and now she's your friend! You should say 'hi'" Hanji chirped.

Eren stared at her in disbelief. How crazy was this woman?

The titans ignored Hanji, continuing to stare at the girl.

Hanji was fascinated by their behaviour. "It's almost as if…as if they're waiting for something," she muttered excitedly. She turned to Taryn.

"Say something to them!"

Taryn squinted through the pain and looked at the titans. The four meter one, Sonny, had a thatch of blond hair atop his head. His maw was open wide and he was breathing heavily, calmly watching the girl in front of him. Bean was fidgeting slightly, his brown hair swaying with his motions, but he too paid close attention to her.

"H-hello," she said hesitantly. Neither of the titans reacted. They just continued to stare at her contentedly.

"Hmm. Maybe you should issue a command?" Hanji suggested.

"Right. Um…" Taryn racked her brain, trying to think of what she could ask them to do. "Blink your eyes?" she asked, unsure of herself. The titans did nothing. If anything, Sonny just opened his mouth wider and whined slightly. Taryn could feel the emotions in her head change. Instead of pain and anger, instead she felt…determination. It was like a message was trying to be sent to her, but she couldn't make out the words.

Hanji frowned. "Well, this isn't going as well as I thought…"

"Maybe Taryn just needs some rest, Squad Leader," Eren forcefully suggested, trying to make Hanji get the hint. He looked at his sister in concern. She looked dead on her feet, as if the smallest gust of wind would make her collapse at any moment.

"Maybe…okay, cadets. Go take a break for now. We'll come back for more testing in a few hours."

Eren sighed in relief and grabbed onto his sister's waist. "Let's get you to bed," he groaned, supporting her weight.

"Mmm… thanks, Eren," Taryn breathed.

* * *

Taryn felt like she had hardly rested her head on her pillow for a few moments before she was awoken by a sharp throbbing in her head. She sat up and wheezed in pain, clutching her scalp. At that moment, Eren sprinted into her room, out of breath.

"Taryn! Someone…someone killed Sonny and Bean!" he exclaimed.

"When?" Taryn gasped.

"Just now!"

"That might explain the pain I just felt…" she muttered, massaging her sore scalp.

"You- you felt them die?" Eren asked, fear evident in his eyes.

Taryn nodded, wincing at the motion.

"Well, we need to go to the courtyard now. Hanji's lost it," he declared, grabbing Taryn's wrist and hastily pulling her out of the room.

They ran down to the open courtyard, and there in the middle were two large steaming corpses. Hanji sat next to them, wailing in despair.

"Oh no…" Taryn murmured sadly. She didn't feel bad that the titans were dead- she felt bad that Hanji was distraught at this turn of events. "What's going on…?" she wondered out loud.

She watched helplessly, Eren standing slightly behind her.

Suddenly, she felt cool breath on her neck. An equally cold hand rested on her shoulder.

"Miss Yeager…what does it look like?" someone murmured behind her. With a start, Taryn turned her neck and found herself looking eye to eye with Commander Erwin.

"Commander!" she breathed. He didn't break eye contact with her, those blue stones of ice boring into her very soul.

"Who is the enemy in your opinion?" he hummed.

"I- what?" she asked in confusion. Taryn's head was spinning. Between the pains she had felt earlier, the shock of the titans' death, and the handsome commander's cool touch, she couldn't process anything.

Erwin removed his hand from her shoulder and stepped away from her, leaving her feeling strangely vulnerable.

He looked straight ahead. "Sorry for asking you strange questions." With that, he walked over to Hanji and the rest of the Special Ops Squad. Levi studied the Commander with a stony face.

Meanwhile, Eren sidled up to Taryn's side.

"What did he ask you?"

Taryn looked at her brother blankly. "Something about…who the enemy is?" Eren looked as confused as she felt.

* * *

The next few days passed without incident. Hanji was still upset about the loss of her "titan babies".

Levi kept all of them busy. They were subjected to training regimens that began early in the morning and didn't finish until late evening, just in time for dinner. One evening, Taryn was eating her meal outside the castle, sitting cross-legged on a fat barrel. She enjoyed the warm, evening breeze that ruffled her hair and carried the fresh scent of nature along with it. It never smelled this good in the city of Shiganshina. Now she assumed it would be filled with the stench of death and blood.

"Oi, Yeager," called a voice nearby. Taryn swiveled her neck and caught sight of an approaching Eld, holding a mug of what she assumed was coffee in his hand.

She smiled in greeting at him. "Hey, Eld."

He stood next to her barrel and leaned against it, taking a sip of his coffee.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?"

She shrugged. "Enjoying the fresh air I guess…" Eld nodded and the two fell into a comfortable silence.

Taryn decided to break it with a question that had been weighing heavily on her mind.

"Did they find out who killed Sonny and Bean?" she asked.

Eld eyed her curiously.

"You're actually calling those titans by the names Hanji gave them?" he teased.

Taryn blushed. "Shut up! I felt a connection with them…"

At this Eld frowned and Taryn realized that she had reminded him of the reason she was currently with the Survey Corps- because she was associated to the titans in a way.

He sighed. "No they didn't find out. We assumed it might have been someone from the inside, so we inspected everyone's equipment. No one had used it without authorization so that rules out all the cadets."

"You don't sound relieved at that," Taryn pointed out.

Eld shook his head. "Even thought I'm glad it wasn't someone from the inside, this could mean that we have an enemy we don't know about yet."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," Taryn murmured softly.

Eld cracked his knuckles out of habit, feeling slightly at unease.

"Anyways…I'm also pretty concerned about the graduation ceremony. How many of the recruits from your class do you think will actually want to join the Scouting Legion?"

Taryn frowned. "I'm not sure…there were a few who showed interest, but now…I don't know," she said thoughtfully. She thought of Jean, the boy who wanted to join the Military Police. Of Armin and Mikasa who would follow Eren anywhere- even straight to death. Of Annie, Reiner and Bertholdt- the three strong soldiers who would probably choose a life of comfort in the interior rather than risk their neck for others. Of Luka who would…well, who knew what he would do.

"Regardless, I think Erwin will be pretty persuasive," she added. Eld didn't look fully reassured.

"Yeah…maybe…" he trailed off.

* * *

It was late afternoon when Hanji pulled Eren and Taryn aside.

"We need to understand more about you, Eren, and even more about the extent of your abilities, Taryn."

The two siblings nodded simultaneously, sure of where Hanji was headed.

"So, I asked Levi and he said I can run an experiment with you two!" she cackled, rubbing her hands together. Eren paled slightly and Taryn backed up a few steps.

The excited female led the Yeagers to a dried out well on the grounds away from the castle.

"Eren, we will have you stand down in the well. When you see my smoke signal, transform into a titan. We'll see how well you can control yourself. Even if you go ballistic, the well is small enough to contain your form and keep you from doing too much damage." She then turned to Taryn.

"Taryn, as for your part, once we have Eren transform, I'd like to try a few exercises with you to see how well you can communicate with him and under what circumstances you can get through to titans!"

Both nodded understandingly. Eren was lowered into the well and everyone else backed up. Levi was there in case things became too unmanageable.

After standing far from the well, Hanji let off the smoke signal. All three waited in anticipation…but nothing happened.

"Eh? Maybe he didn't see the smoke signal?" Hanji wondered.

"He saw it. We just don't know if something or not happened down there," Levi said, already walking towards the well.

Hanji and Taryn followed closely behind the Captain.

"Oi, Eren! Did you manage to do anything?" Hanji yelled down into the well. All three peered into the depths of the well and the sight that met them made them all gasp.

Eren was covered in blood, chunks of the flesh of his hand ripped off. The red fluid covered his mouth and teeth. Small tears of pain leaked out from the corner of his emerald eyes.

"Eren…" Taryn muttered, almost feeling his pain.

"Squad Leader Hanji, I'm so sorry, but it seems that I can't turn into a titan," Eren winced painfully.

They immediately took Eren out of the well. Taryn tended to his torn up hands, bandaging them up carefully. She then pressed a small kiss to both of his hands.

Eren blushed and wanted to pull his hands out from his sister's grasp, but it was too painful.

"Taryn! You're not my mom…that's so embarrassing," he whined. Taryn smirked at him.

"You wouldn't mind as much if it was Mikasa, right?" she winked at him. Eren stared at her, his mouth wide open with shock.

"The wounds haven't healed yet?" Levi scowled as he walked over to the siblings, a fresh cup of hot tea present in his hand.

Eren shook his head as Taryn eyed the small captain with immense distaste. She really didn't like him.

"If you lose your ability to transform into a titan, then we won't be able to plug the hold in Wall Maria. You'll be useless. Fix that."

Eren shuddered. "Yessir," he mumbled, hanging his head in shame. At the moment, Levi's disappointment in him hurt one hundred times more than the sharp pain in his hands.

"Don't feel too down," Eld said quietly, looking at the young boy in a pitying manner.

"Yeah. It just means your more human than we thought," Auruo added, much to Taryn and Eren's surprise.

Auruo caught sight of their surprised looks as well as Petra's expression of amazement as his sudden kind words.

"I-I mean…it just goes to show what a useless brat you are," he spluttered, trying to retain his gruff exterior.

Petra sighed in disappointment. She had thought Auruo had gone back to the sweet boy he was when they were younger. Thoughts of warm nights together followed by gentle touches and heated words flashed through her mind, warming her cheeks.

Eren sighed roughly and picked up a teaspoon, attempting to stir his hot cup of tea. A sudden pain ran through his hands, causing him to drop his spoon.

"Are you alright?" Taryn asked, concern noticeable on her face. Eren rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" he lied, reaching out to grab the spoon before Taryn made a big fuss. He could hardly reach the spoon on the ground, his hands making it too painful to pick it up.

"Mmm-nnn…" he groaned as he stretched his stiff fingers.

 ** _BOOOOM!_**

It happened in a flash. Literally.

A bright light exploded along with the loudest sound Taryn had ever heard. Steam filled the air to the point where no one could see anything. There were yells from everyone coming from all directions.

"Hey!"

"What the hell was that?"

"Was it an explosion?!"

As the steam began to clear up, everyone caught sight of a giant mass in the center of the steam. Eren was atop the mass, growling and trying to remove himself from it.

Hanji suddenly appeared from the forest, drawn by the loud noise and bright light. What had she been doing in the forest was anyone's guess. Her assistant and right-hand man, Moblit, followed her. He looked comically exhausted. Looking after Hanji would be a full time job though.

"What's going o-" she began but then stopped short when she saw the titan limb attached to Eren. Her eyes sparkled.

"WAHOOOOOO!" she squealed, jumping high into the air.

"Why now?" Eren wailed.

Immediately, he saw Levi situate himself at the base of this mass, his back towards him.

"Calm down," the small captain commander, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.

Eren's eyes widened. "But Captain! I haven't done anyth-" but he stopped when he noticed who Levi was talking to.

Petra, Auruo, Eld, and Gunther were spread out before him, their faces all masks of rage, their blades drawn and ready to kill. Eren couldn't believe it.

"Eren!" Taryn cried out and stepped forward to run to her brother.

"No, Taryn! He's dangerous!" Eld yelled and wrapped his arm around the girl's waist, pulling her back.

Taryn slapped his hand away and broke herself away from his arms, running to her brother.

"Don't forget, I'm dangerous too!" she snarled, her words like a slap to Eld's face. He physically recoiled from the venom in her words.

"Eren! What's the meaning of this?!" Gunther yelled at the boy.

"Why did you do this without authorization?" Eld screamed.

"I-I…" Eren stammered.

"Answer him!" Auruo roared.

"But, I-" he was cut off again. No one would let him get a word in.

"Prove to us that you aren't a threat to humanity, _right now_!" Gunther hissed, his blades ready to end the boy's life.

Taryn let out a strangled noise of fear and ran up to the giant titan limb. Levi let her pass him.

"Taryn! Captain! Get away from it! It's dangerous," Petra exclaimed in a strained voice.

"Calm down. It's you guys who need to get away from him. Step down now," Levi commanded in an even voice.

"But why?" Petra cried.

"Intuition." He turned to Taryn. "Help him out of that thing and quickly," he muttered lowly. She nodded and shot the Captain a grateful look.

A high-pitched squeal followed by a scuffling and tripping noise interrupted the tense atmosphere.

"EREN. CAN I TOUCH IT?" a desperate Hanji yelled as she got up from the ground where she had fallen flat on her face and sprinted frantically towards the boy.

"Squad Leader?" Eren asked in confusion.

"PLEASE LET ME TOUCH IT! JUST A LITTLE FEEL? THAT'S ALL, I PROMISE!" she babbled as she raced to them.

She laid her hands on the titan limb, her mouth practically drooling with pleasure.

"OUCH! HOT, HOT, HOT!" she shrieked as she jumped around victoriously. "IT'S SO DAMNED HOT!"

"Squad Leader! You're too reckless for your own good!" poor Moblit exclaimed, sweating as his leader hopped around in pain and excitement.

"Eren! Isn't it hot for you too? What's happening to the part where your arm is attached to the flesh?"

Eren looked down at his arm in confusion. Hanji's words gave Taryn an idea.

"Eren! Try to tear your arm away from the attached flesh!" Taryn yelled up to him. Eren nodded and tugged hard. He pulled so hard that when the flesh snapped off, he tumbled off the titan limb, falling backwards onto the grass.

Taryn rushed up to him and helped him stand up, supporting his weight across her shoulders. The second Eren detached himself from the body part, it began to evaporate.

"WAHHH- NO! WHY DID YOU DO THAT? I STILL NEED TO RESEARCH STUFF!" Hanji howled, clutching her hair in despair. But then something shiny caught her eye. A small teaspoon was sticking out of the titan hand's grasp.

"Hmm?" she walked forward and plucked the spoon out of its fingers, examining the small piece of cutlery in her hand. Her mind moved quickly as she put together all the puzzle pieces together.

 _Ah I see,_ she hummed with pleasure.

* * *

Everyone was seated at the table in the dungeon, faces all solemn.

"They were all ready to kill me," Eren said softly, covering his face with his hands. He was sitting in the corner of the dungeon, away from the soldiers. Levi stood next to him, his arms crossed and his foot resting back against the brick wall.

"What did you expect? They're the best- they'll always be on their guard," he intoned emotionlessly.

"They don't trust me."

Levi clucked his tongue in disapproval. "Tch, of course they don't. That's why I chose them in the first place."

Taryn was seated at the edge of the table. She could hear the soft conversation Eren was having with the captain. Meanwhile, she could also feel the eyes of the soldiers on her. When she looked up to meet their gazes, they all looked away- all except Eld. She could almost see a flash of hurt go through his brown eyes.

"It doesn't mean they suddenly turned into a heartless mob…don't think it was easy for them to turn their blades on you," Levi murmured quietly, his eyes softening as he regarded the miserable figure seated on the floor next to him. "Just don't expect them to regret it," he finished.

"Leviiiii," Hanji sang as she entered the dungeon room.

"What is it?" the man growled irritably.

"Look at this. You too, Eren," she proclaimed, proudly holding up the teaspoon from earlier.

"What about it?"

Using quick words and an efficient explanation, Hanji let the whole group know about her new discovery. According to her findings, Eren could only turn into titan when he had a sole purpose in mind- in this case, trying to pick up the spoon.

"So…you didn't transform on purpose?" Gunther asked, still regarding the boy warily.

Eren shook his head. "I promise, it wasn't intentional."

The four elite soldiers looked at each other and nodded. With a fluid motion, all four bit down on their hands, hard.

"Huh?" Taryn was confused. So were Eren and Hanji. Levi didn't care.

"Eren, we want to apologize for misjudging you…biting your hand repeatedly is quite painful," Eld said, wincing as he shook his hand trying to rid it of the sharp pain seeping through it.

"But don't get cocky, brat!" Auruo growled. "We were doing our job to keep you in check!"

"We're really sorry, Eren," Petra added softly. "We just act on instinct together. But now, we want you to start trusting us."

Everyone nodded in agreement, even Auruo. Eren smiled brightly. "I do trust you!" Everyone grinned too, surrounding Eren to talk to him.

Taryn hung back, glad to see that things were positive again. She felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"Um, Taryn?" she turned to see Eld standing behind her, a sheepish look on his face.

"Hey, Eld," she said softly.

"I-I'm sorry-," he began, but Taryn cut him off.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to snap at you. I was just scared for Eren, I guess," she explained. Eld nodded in understanding.

"Listen, even though you might be dangerous, I want you to know that you're still my friend. I care about you," Eld said gently. Taryn smiled happily. She had been extremely close to Eld ever since joining the Survey Corps and she didn't want to lose that friendship.

"Good," she concluded, wrapping her arms around his waist to give him a hug. He hesitated for a moment before returning the hug. Taryn sighed happily. No matter what happened, at least she was surrounded by people she loved and cared about.

* * *

Taryn and Eren were standing with the elite soldiers as they all took a break from going over strategies for the upcoming expedition.

Suddenly, a flash of gold passed by Taryn's peripheral vision, catching her attention. She turned and saw a small bob of blonde hair disappearing around a corner.

 _Armin?_

Then it hit her. The graduation ceremony had finished already!

"Eld! Is it alright if Eren and I go to talk to our classmates?" she asked, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. Eld gave her an indulging smile and nodded. At his affirmation, Taryn grabbed her brother's arm, tearing him away from a conversation he was having with Petra.

"Huh? Taryn! What are you doing?" he yelped as his sister dragged him around a corner.

"ARMIN! MIKASA!" she yelled. The two turned around in surprise. Their expressions went from confusion to delight as they saw the other half of their small family running towards them.

"Eren!" Mikasa exclaimed, her eyes brightening. Eren's face turned red as they stopped before the other pair.

"H-hey, Mikasa…" he mumbled, trying to hide the blush on his face. His body desperately wanted him to step up to the girl and hold her tightly in his arms, but his pride kept him from doing so. On the other hand, Taryn, who had no qualms about physical affection, threw her arms enthusiastically around Armin, hugging him tightly. She peppered kisses all over his face.

"Geez, Taryn," he laughed, hugging her to him.

"I can't help it! I've missed my little ones so much!" she hummed.

"Did you miss us too?" came a deep voice from behind Armin. Taryn looked up and saw Reiner and Bertholdt standing there, looking as big and menacing as ever.

"You guys!" she gasped. "I thought you would join the Military Police?"

"Now why would we do that when you're here?" Reiner teased. Unable to contain all the love and emotions she was feeling at the moment, Taryn raced up to the two giants and threw her arms around them as well. But then she noticed the empty gap between them.

"Annie?" she asked questioningly.

Reiner sighed and she noticed Berthodlt's hands tighten ever so slightly.

"Military Police," he sighed.

Taryn kept her mouth shut. She felt slightly hurt. She really did like Annie, and after what happened at the last battle against the titans, she thought they had bonded- become friends even. She shook her head. Well, at least the icy girl would be safe, she thought with a bleak smile.

"That's the legion I should have joined…" came a mutter from behind the two giants. Taryn peeked around Reiner's girth to catch sight of a familiar horse-like face.

"Jean?" Eren yelped, his jaw dropping. Next to Jean were Connie and Sasha, grinning brightly at their friends.

With a sinking heart, Taryn realized that the one person she really wanted to see wasn't there. _I guess I wasn't worth the wait_ , she thought sadly.

"Wait, where's Marco?" Eren asked. He highly doubted he would have gone to join the Military Police when everyone was here. Marco and Jean were practically inseparable after all. Immediately everyone stiffened at Eren's words. Connie and Sasha looked especially downtrodden. Jean remained expressionless.

"He's dead."

The words rang through the air, hitting Taryn and Eren with full force.

"But..but he can't be," Taryn cried. Marco- the sweetest boy ever. The only one who managed to see the good in others, boosting them up even if they didn't deserve it. The kind, freckled boy who was the epitome of goodness and love.

"No one knows how he died," Jean glowered.

In two steps, Jean stepped forward and grabbed Eren by the shirt. "He didn't even know what he was dying for, Eren!" the boy screeched. Eren remained speechless.

"We need to know what we're going to die for! Take into consideration the worth of your life against everyone who sacrificed their lives for it!" Jean sobbed angrily.

"J-Jean, I…"

Jean stared the boy in the eye, all his fury and rage stored in his expression. Unshed tears made his eyes shine.

"Please, Eren. Let us know what we're giving up our lives for," he pleaded. Eren gulped.

"Of course."

* * *

It wasn't long after that Eld and Gunther came by to lead the new cadets to their rooms within the castle. Taryn parted ways with her friends and Eren, choosing to walk around the grounds. In two days they would leave for their first expedition.

She calmly walked through the green grass, enjoying that fresh breeze that lightly tickled her face. It was so perfect and beautiful. As she walked by a corner, a hand shot out and wrapped around her arm, pulling her against a hard, warm form.

"Hey!" Taryn exclaimed angrily, ready to pull herself away from her assailant and beat him up. She turned, raising her hand to slap his face when he caught her small hand in his. Heart beating and blood rushing with adrenaline, Taryn got ready to knee him in the crotch when she heard a familiar chuckle.

"So everyone else gets hugs and kisses, while I almost get a slap and kneed where the sun don't shine?" drawled a heated voice.

Taryn slowly looked up to meet the eyes of the person holding her. Hazel eyes.

"L-Luka?" she whispered in disbelief.

"Hey," he grinned brightly.

"Y-you came?"

He nodded. "I believe a certain girl was waiting for me?"

Taryn couldn't explain the burst of happiness that was spreading throughout her body at the moment. He was really there. He had come for her.

She smiled shyly. "What a silly girl, right?"

"Hmm, I don't know about that," he murmured, bending down until their noses touched.

Taryn felt her heart beat at an extraordinary speed, not from fear but from anticipation.

"Really?" she breathed heavily, as he skimmed his nose slowly across her jawline. She could feel his warm breath on her neck, raising goose bumps all along her arm, despite the warm air.

"You know," he murmured against her throat, "we never did get to finish this last time."

"I remember," she exhaled, small tingles of pleasure shooting through her body.

"Can we pick up from where we left off?" his voice was deep and husky, causing her knees to get very weak. Taryn was so glad he was holding her up against his muscular form.

"Please do," she squeaked. With a low chuckle, Luka brought his face back to hers and leaned down. Taryn closed her eyes as his lips finally pressed against hers. It was so light, she wasn't sure if he was actually kissing her or if she had imagined it. But there was no denying that familiar dry texture of his lips. She sighed against his mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

She wound her hands in his silky hair as he wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her tighter to him. He thought it was adorable that she was standing on her toes to reach him.

He pulled away slightly, admiring her slightly swollen lips and darkened eyes. He brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth, her cheeks, her nose and her eyes. Finally he returned back to her mouth, suckling on the plump bottom lip.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips with a groan. Taryn pulled back in surprise. _He loves me?_

She studied him. Even though they hadn't been romantically involved for a long time (hardly a month or so), she still felt a lot for him. There were so many months during their friendship where they had developed a bond of trust and closeness. He hadn't turned away from her in disgust when she discovered her titan abilities. That was almost enough to convince Taryn that Luka's feelings might actually be genuine. She trusted him so much. As his eyes roved hungrily over her face, trying to memorize all of her features, Taryn made up her mind.

She placed her hand on his cheek, drawing him down for another kiss.

"I love you too," she breathed happily. The pure truth of that statement nearly knocked her off her feet. "I love you!" she crowed again, enjoying the warmth of the words tumbling off of her tongue.

Luka's smile was dazzlingly bright. He picked her up and spun her around, laughing. Taryn wasn't one for overly romantic and cheesy gestures, but at that moment, she loved it.

She loved him.

* * *

Two icy blue eyes watched the happy couple from a window high up on the castle. The Commander's eyes narrowed at the display of love and happiness. He could feel something tearing at him. Envy? Disapproval?

Erwin sighed. He had thrown away the ability to feel anything a long time ago. He was numb now- numb to everything. He had no time to feel anything but ambition to achieve his goal. Yet, he envied the carefree attitude of the couple below. They let themselves feel love without considering the consequences.

Oh how he wished he could do that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, violence, sexual scenes (eventually). There are also hints that could be potential spoilers, depending on where you are in the series (manga mainly). Please don't complain about them as I'm warning you now.

 **A/N:** Reviews make me so happy! A special "thank you" to **Dareaderreads** and **Lynn Stark** for being such sweet readers, as well as the amazing **Guest(s)**. Have a virtual cookie and my eternal gratitude.

Quick note: There's a beautiful piece of art I stumbled across on DeviantArt that conveys a lot about Erwin. It inspired me so much for this chapter. I posted the link on my profile, so please go check it out!

Also, there is a _Doctor Who_ reference/quote (hint: from the 12th Doctor) in this chapter, so to all my Whovians out there- this one's for you!

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Four: The Night Before

 _"_ _If heaven's grief brings hell's rain,_

 _Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday…  
I want to teach you a lesson, in the worst kind of way,_

 _Still I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday."_

 _(Just One Yesterday- Fall Out Boy ft. Foxes)_

* * *

The night before the expedition was filled with tension. Everyone left to go to bed early, but no one actually went to sleep. While newly integrated cadets fretted about their lives they'd be risking the next day, veterans worried about keeping their cadets alive.

Right now, Taryn was lying in her bed, curled up against Luka's warm body. After their happy reunion, the two spent the rest of the evening holding hands, catching up on life events, making jokes and kissing each other whenever they got the chance. When it came time for bed, Luka looked heartbroken at the prospect of parting ways with Taryn, even though his room was just two floors down from hers. To be quite honest, Taryn didn't want to leave Luka yet either. So, sneaking around the hallways to the best of their abilities, Taryn had managed to hide Luka in her room. They sat together on her tiny bed, holding each other and whispering sweet nothings. It actually didn't take long for Luka to fall asleep, the comfort of Taryn's warm body and soothing breath lulling him to sleep. He had draped an arm over her waist, pulling her tightly against him, cuddling his face into the crook of her neck.

Taryn had never felt warmer and more loved. Yet, for some reason, she just could not sleep. With a sigh, she reluctantly untangled herself from Luka's grasp and crept off the bed. She stood up and stretched, enjoying the sensation of her cramped joints popping. Luka mumbled something in his sleep and shifted, causing a small thatch of black hair to fall over his furrowed brows. Taryn smiled gently and pressed a light kiss to his forehead.

Feeling her throat to be quite dry, she decided to grab some water, quietly walking down to the kitchens. As she walked, she noticed that no one was awake, or at least not walking around the hallways. All was silent. Everyone was in their own rooms, their thoughts all focused on the events that would happen the next day.

As Taryn came out of the kitchen grasping her cup of water, she heard a creaking noise close by her. She quickly dove by a corner and peered out from behind the wall. A familiar figure was walking down to the dungeons, looking left and right before ducking into the passageway that would lead her to Eren's room. Taryn chuckled lowly. Of course Mikasa would sneak around for Eren. No doubt, morning would find the two cuddled together, just as they used to when they were children.

With a gently smile still on her lips, Taryn held her cup tightly and began the long trek back to her room. As she passed the third floor, she noticed a door slightly open, light streaming through the crack and shining brightly on the walls of the otherwise dark hallway. Curiosity got the better of her, so she walked towards the door, wondering whose room it was.

She bent down and peeked through the crack and was met with a wonderful sight. Books lined shelves that ran from the floor to the ceiling. There were hundreds of books, all of their spines covered in various coloured leathers. Golden letters spelled out names and titles in many languages. Her mouth watered at the idea of getting her hands on these books. Was this perhaps the castle's library?

Suddenly, a shadow fell across the crack and the door creaked open slightly. Taryn found herself staring at a set of very muscular thighs, clothed in the crisp, white uniform of the military. She slowly lifted her eyes up, only to meet with the curious, blue gaze of her Commander.

"Miss Yeager?" he asked calmly, although his eyes gave away a hint of amusement.

Taryn immediately straightened up, the speed of this motion causing some of the cold water from her cup to spill onto her hand and night pants.

"Oh shoot!" she hissed. Erwin frowned.

"Come in. I'll get you a towel."

Taryn shook her head hastily.

"Oh…there's no need, Commander. I didn't mean to disturb you-" but he cut her off.

"I insist." His words were unyielding.

Taryn nodded silently and followed him into the room. As she walked to the center of the room, she took a full look around, appreciating the beauty of this simple room. A burgundy rug covered the center of the wooden floor, matching the leather of a comfortable armchair that stood in the corner of the room. It looked like this was the Commander's office, judging by the desk situated in front of a large window.

Papers and open books were scattered over the desk's surface, Erwin's neat handwriting covering various pages. Taryn glanced at the writing inquisitively, feeling like she'd seen that neat handwriting somewhere before.

A sharp click behind her caused her to jump in surprise, startling her out of her musings.

Erwin had shut the door and was walking to a desk situated in front of a large, glass window. He dug through a drawer of his and pulled out a plain, white handkerchief.

"I apologize for not having a towel on hand. I hope this will be alright?" he asked, offering the handkerchief to her.

"It's fine. Thank you, Commander," Taryn smiled, gratefully accepting the piece of cloth and dabbing her pants with it.

Erwin nodded and walked behind his desk, seating himself in his chair.

"Please, Miss Yeager. Take a seat," he said, motioning to one of the two chairs in front of the desk. Taryn sat down and set her cup down on his desk, still dabbing at her pants.

There was a silence that lasted for a moment between the two as Taryn mentally sighed at the wet-splotch that took up a large spot on her thigh. Maybe Luka wouldn't mind if she went to bed without pants on? Her shirt was long enough to cover most of her body in any case.

"What are you doing up so late, Miss Yeager?" the Commander asked, interrupting her train of thought. Taryn looked up at him with interest. There was no sense of curiosity from the man. He wasn't radiating any emotions. He just looked…exhausted. There was that mask again, she thought bitterly. The mask he always wore.

"I couldn't sleep," she answered coolly. "And how about yourself?"

The Commander smirked. "Haven't you ever heard of the phrase, ' _no rest for the wicked_ ', Miss Yeager?"

Taryn frowned disapprovingly.

"Are you calling yourself wicked, sir?" At this, the smirk disappeared.

"Do you not see me as such?" he asked, his tone calm, but those blue eyes told a different story.

"What have you done do merit such a title?"

Erwin studied her intently, his eyes piercing her gaze. She was afraid he could see every thought that had and would pass through her mind. Taryn kept herself composed, not allowing a single emotion to betray the storm of feelings that was brewing within her. Erwin took a deep breath before answering.

"I have sent hundreds of men and women to their deaths. I have sacrificed lives- valuable lives- in order to bring humanity a step closer to freedom. But are their deaths worth it? We are not any closer to being liberated than we were before I took command. My hands are bathed in the blood of thousands. Doesn't that make me a wicked being? Do I even deserve to be called human any more?"

Taryn sat still, processing his words. She had never fully understood the extent to which the Commander was involved in this war. It seemed as if he had been holding these words in for a long time and hadn't told anyone how he felt.

Erwin was surprised at himself. As a soldier in a battle that he had been fighting for much too long, he had, overtime, lost the ability to empathize with others. It always made him come off as cold and emotionless, but that wasn't the case. He just couldn't be bothered or concerned about people who whined or were dealing with small, meaningless problems. He generally closed himself off, not talking to anyone about his problems except for Hanji and Mike, his two most trusted comrades and friends. So why on earth was he spilling his thoughts to this newcomer?

Taryn remained silent, trying to come up with an answer. It was difficult. She didn't think of him as a bad man- just a man who had to make some unfortunate choices.

"Sometimes…" she hesitated for a moment but then decided to continue, "…sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones, but in the end, you still have to choose."

With those words, Taryn got out of her seat and made her way around the large desk, positioning herself by Erwin. She quietly laid the handkerchief he had given her onto the space in front of him. Then will the gentlest of touches, she hesitantly rested her small hand on his golden hair.

"Please don't forget to get some rest tonight, sir," she murmured softly.

Erwin found himself instinctively leaning into her touch, greedily trying to absorb as much warmth from her as he could. How rarely he felt anything that gave him warmth. Erwin's world was one that was numb yet plagued by cold at the same time. He could not feel- no; he did not _want_ to feel anything. Embracing emotions would mean that he would have to feel the guilt of killing thousands. The Commander could not afford to do that at the moment.

To his disappointment, Taryn quickly pulled her hand away from him, almost as if she had received an electric shock. She thought she had overstepped her boundaries and did not want to be reprimanded by the Commander.

She hastily walked away from the desk- away from the Commander- not wanting to see Erwin's expression at her actions. Taryn uttered a quick "thank you" and "goodnight" before heading out the door, shutting it quite loudly behind her.

Erwin was as still as a statue as he watched the girl retreat from his room, taking all her warmth and emotions with her and leaving him to fall back into the icy doldrums he hated. Her answer to his question still rang clear in his mind. Those words didn't comfort him in any way. Instead, they served as a lifeline- something he could desperately hold onto and believe in as he sent more men to their deaths.

He reached up and gently touched the place on his head where her hand had been. He could still feel her fingers there. Erwin shook his head roughly and grunted in irritation.

As the Commander and last hope for humanity, he could not afford to let himself be distracted by and won over by pretty words. He had a goal to achieve and he would fight for humanity until his heart stopped beating.

* * *

Mikasa had slowly crept down the wooden stairs that led her to the dungeon. She was extremely angry at the fact that Eren had been forced to stay down there, believing it to be part of the short Captain's sick sense of humour.

With a grimace, she walked through the dark and musty smelling hallways, navigating through them by touch instead of sight. Her long, thin fingers gently brushed against the slick, stone walls, searching for Eren's room. His prison.

Her ears perked up at the sound of rustling coming from nearby. Carefully navigating by using the walls, she rounded a corner and was greeted with the dim light of a slowly dying torch. The torch's light illuminated metal bars across from it. And behind those bars were-

"Eren!"

Mikasa ran up to the bars, desperately drinking in the image of the boy whom she had just seen hours earlier.

Eren had been sitting on his bed, fretting and stressing over tomorrow's mission, just like every other soul in the building.

"Mikasa?" he asked, his nose scrunching up in confusion. With those nimble fingers of her, Mikasa managed to unlock the cell's door, opening it up with a loud _creak_. She slipped through the entry and walked straight to Eren's bed

"How are you?" she asked breathlessly, her eyes flitting over his features, giving him a quick check-up.

"I just saw you earlier, Mikasa," he bristled, his voice tinged with annoyance. "I'm fine."

"I know…I'm just worried…about…you know-"

Eren clenched his fist, trying his hardest not to snap at her. He was already high-strung from the stress of tomorrow's expedition, and she wasn't making him feel any better.

"Mikasa. I'll be fine. Worry about yourself," he grunted, looking away from her.

He felt her place her delicate hand on his cheek, her thumb rubbing small circles against his jaw. Eren shuddered under her touch, his stress slowly melting away with that small show of affection.

"Of course you'll be fine. I'll protect you," she exhaled.

Eren snapped his eyes to her, anger filling them as quickly as it had left seconds before. With a snarl, he grabbed her hand and flipped her so that she was lying down on his bed and he was positioned over her.

"E-Eren?" she questioned shakily, her chest heaving with rapid, shallow breaths.

"No, Mikasa," he scowled. "You don't dare say that again."

"Say what?" she asked almost fearfully. She had a right to be scared. At the moment, Eren looked terrifying. His emerald eyes were ablaze with all the rage, fury, fear and every other emotion he could possibly feel. His lips were pulled back in a dangerous snarl, his breath coming out in rough spurts. His brown hair was wild, falling over his face in shaggy bunches. He had trapped both her wrists under his warm hands, pinning her arms above her head.

"Don't think that you're going to protect me. _I_ protect _you_ , got it?"

Despite the position she was in, literally, Mikasa felt all the affection and love she held for this boy, overwhelm her. She couldn't hold it in any longer. They weren't kids anymore and tonight might be their last night together. "Eren, I-I lo-"

Eren stiffened, his eyes losing some of their fire. He seemed to suddenly realize the position they were in and a slow, pink blush scattered across his cheeks.

"Don't say it," he frowned.

Mikasa bit her lip in embarrassment, hurt pooling in her chest. She turned her face away from him, refusing to meet those brilliantly green eyes. She felt him sigh above her.

A warm nose skimmed her jawline causing her to gasp lightly. His breath fanned across her throat, heating every cell in her body. Her very being was on fire at the moment, and Eren was the spark that started it all.

"Don't say it," he repeated, murmuring the words against her neck.

"Why not?" she managed to choke out. Never in her wildest dreams could she imagine that Eren would ever touch her this way. He would always blush and stammer when the two touched in any way, even accidental contact.

"Because…Because you deserve so much better," he breathed, pressing his lips ever so slightly against the racing pulse point threatening to break out from under her skin.

Eren didn't know what he was doing at the moment. He just had the overwhelming urge to shout at Mikasa, but to also love her at the same time. He did love her- and not as a sister. Not like how he loved Taryn. No. The feelings he held for Mikasa went much further than that…not that he would ever admit it. He would never let her admit it either.

After all, there was no room for love in this war-torn world. He didn't deserve any love.

A loud noise startled them. It sounded like someone had slammed a door shut on one of the floors above them. They were quite surprised that anyone could be awake at this point.

Coming back to his senses, Eren hastily pulled back from her and shifted his position, letting go of her wrists and lying down next to her.

"B-but, you are what's best for me!" she rasped, her throat burning with the pain of unshed tears and unspoken emotions.

He shook his head wearily and rubbed his eyes.

"Let's not talk about this right now. If we get through tomorrow, then we can save this talk for after the expedition," he promised.

They were silent for a bit, each lost in their own thoughts…each wondering, _will we actually make it through tomorrow?_

"C-can I stay?" Mikasa asked, timidly breaking the silence.

With a heavy sigh, Eren nodded. He had never pushed her from his bed when they were younger, and he wouldn't do it today either. He opened up his arms in a welcoming embrace, and she immediately threw herself into his grasp, curling up against his chest. The two lay together side by side, trying to find comfort in the other's warmth…trying to push away the fears that would come with the next day's events.

* * *

Auruo never felt well before expeditions. He had been part of the military long enough to see the number of dead bodies they returned with each time. Each time they stepped outside the walls, there was a chance that one of those dead bodies would belong to one of his friends. There was a chance that the next dead body could belong to the love of his life.

He tried to shake his head of those depressing thoughts. Thoughts that showed Petra lying on the ground, her large amber eyes glassy with death…her small, delicate body snapped in two. Her short ginger hair wouldn't shine in the sun any more. He would never see her laugh again, or blush prettily. He would never be able to feel those innocent yet perfectly sinful lips against his again.

He groaned softly, burying his face into his knees. Why did he keep pushing her away? They had been so crazy about each other when they were younger. But all that changed when Petra met Levi, or so Auruo thought.

The girl was obviously taken with the short Captain, and Auruo could hardly blame her. He had practically worshipped the man when he joined the military. But he had never considered the possibility of losing Petra's love to the man he admired.

Try as he may, he couldn't even hate the Captain. Levi never flirted with Petra or touched her intimately. He treated her as he treated everyone else- as his comrade in arms. So Auruo thought it would be a fantastic idea to try and act like Levi. Maybe that would bring Petra's attention back to him. Instead, it seemed to push her away even further from him.

 _When did it all start?_ he asked himself with a low grumble. A light breeze picked at his ash-blonde hair, gently trying to soothe him as he raised his head to stare up at the star-filled sky.

"Auruo?"

The man turned around to see the subject of his thoughts walking towards him. Even though he had known her for more than a decade, the sight of her making her way to him never failed to take his breath away. Immediately, his heart began to race.

"Petra," he breathed, before catching himself and gruffly clearing his throat. "I-I mean, hey babe. You looking for me? What- couldn't get enough of me in your dreams, so you came for the real thing?" he snickered.

 _Stupid! Stupid! Why are you saying that?_ his mind cried out in distress.

Petra stopped short at his words, standing hardly a few feet away from him. Her face was wrinkled in disgust.

"Seriously, Auruo?" she scoffed. "I came to apologize for snapping at you. We're leaving tomorrow and who knows what will happen, so I just wanted to…I wanted to…" but she trailed off, unable to say any more.

Auruo felt his heart clench. He stood up and reached out to take her in his arms, just as he had all those years ago. She noticed his movement and immediately pulled away. Auruo retracted his hands, feeling like he had been slapped.

"W-Why are you like this?" she whispered sadly, her large amber eyes gazing at him with pure misery.

"Like what?" he asked, feigning ignorance. Her expression lit up with anger.

"Like this, you jerk! Like an absolute asshole! Why are you trying to be so hard like Levi?" she cried.

Auruo's lips pushed back into a snarl. He walked up to her in a slow, predatory manner, stopping a few inches in front of her. His tall, lanky frame towered over her petite one.

"Like Levi? Maybe it's because you're in love with the man, Petra!" he spat bitterly. Petra's jaw dropped open. She couldn't even say anything.

Auruo misread her silence.

"So you do love him?" he growled. "Figures…I knew it from the moment we joined _his_ squad. You pulled away from me, Petra! You stopped kissing me…hugging me…you don't even fully talk to me. Do you know how much that hurt?" he ranted, his hand running stressfully through his blonde locks.

"I-I…I," she stuttered.

"What? Going to tell me how sorry you felt for me? How you actually discovered that you didn't feel a single thing for me all along? How everything we felt and did wasn't re-"

 _SLAP!_

A sharp sound resounded loudly through the night air. Auruo was stunned. He slowly touched his now-red cheek, absolutely certain that her tiny handprint was etched clearly onto his pale skin.

Petra's hand was still raised, her face red and her chest heaving with anger.

"Holy fuck, Petr-oomph!" but she cut him off again, though not with a slap this time. Instead, the tiny ginger girl tackled him to the soft grass beneath their feet.

He fell down hard, and he felt the weight of her falling on top of him. It was a pleasant feeling though- something he hadn't felt in a _long_ time.

"So…heavy…" he wheezed teasingly.

"Shut up!" she punched him in the shoulder.

"Now what was that for, brat?" he asked, looking up at her. Petra bit her lip, not able to find the words she so desperately wanted to say.

"Oi, Petra…" Auruo coaxed gently, ignoring the fact that he could still feel the pain from the spectacular slap she had delivered earlier. He had to admit he deserved it. He had flown off the handle a bit.

"Listen, Auruo," she began, holding his gaze. He nodded, giving her a silent promise that he wouldn't interrupt.

"I didn't pull away because I fell in love with Levi or some rubbish like that…How could you even think that, Auruo? You know I love you!"

The blonde looked surprised.

"Me?"

Petra rolled her eyes in irritation.

"Yes, you-you…you thick boulder!"

"Boul-Petra, was that the best insult you could come up with?" he questioned. While he listened to Petra's angry comments about how she preferred not to resort to foul language like him, he could feel his heart swelling with warmth. She still loved him...

"Petra. Oi, old lady," he chided softly. Petra stopped her ranting abruptly, huffing at the name he gave her.

"You know I hate it when you call me that," she muttered. He ran his fingers through her ginger hair, pulling her head down to his face.

He buried his nose in those gorgeous locks, inhaling her comforting scent.

"Why did you pull away, then?"

She didn't answer for a bit, instead choosing to focus on his fingers, which were stroking her hair lightly.

Finally, she spoke.

"Do you remember the night before our first expedition?" Auruo nodded. It was a night filled to the brim with emotion. They didn't know if it would be their last goodbye…their last kiss.

Petra traced random patterns onto his chest.

"You were scared. You had been scared. You pulled away from me because you didn't know what you would do if you lost me."

Auruo remembered.

"Well," she continued, "I pulled away once we reached Levi's Squad because I was scared too. I was scared that if I concentrated on anything other than fighting, I would get distracted. And you know how dangerous distractions are."

Auruo could feel her heart beating through her chest, pumping slowly and steadily against his own.

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you died because I made a mistake," she whispered. A warm wetness suddenly seeped through his shirt.

"P-Petra? Are you crying?" he asked in confusion and concern.

"Of course not!" she retorted, her sniffles betraying her. Auruo chuckled.

"You brat… We're a team, remember? We have to have each other's backs. How can we work together if you won't even talk to me?"

Petra lifted her head up and rested her elbows on his chest, allowing her to look at him while they spoke.

"I wanted to fix that. But then, you started behaving like a jerk." Auruo blushed lightly.

"Well that was because you were ignoring me!"

They both sighed in unison, caught in a stalemate.

"I guess we're both idiots," Auruo murmured, resting his hand on the small of Petra's back.

"Do you hate me, now?"

Auruo couldn't believe that those words had come out of those perfect lips. He sat up quickly, cradling her in his lap. He cupped her cheeks in his hands, still unable to believe that he was holding her in his arms. Her warm, amber eyes were filled with fear at the thought of rejection.

"Hate? Never. I could never hate you. I never did hate you in the first place, Petra! I always loved you, no matter what."

She sniffled lightly and stared at him.

"Really?"

At this point, Auruo knew that words wouldn't work any more. He was hopelessly bad at conveying his feelings, something that Petra found endearing, unbeknownst to him.

"Do you really still love me?" he leaned close to her until their noses touched and their breaths mingled.

"Of course, you big idiot," she laughed.

"Then there's nothing left to say."

He pressed his lips against hers for the first time in years. They were still as warm and delicious as he remembered. Petra moaned against his mouth, drinking him in. They kissed hungrily, desperately trying to make up for all the time they missed together. The two soldiers clung to one another, scared that if they let go, the other would disappear forever.

"Let's take this to my room," he groaned against her cheek, his hands wrapped tightly around her small waist.

"We need to get some rest, though," she tried to protest, but her words were drowned out with a gasp of pleasure as he nipped at her throat.

"We can get all the rest we want after the expedition," he growled lowly.

"But what if there isn't an 'afterwards', Auruo?" She choked, forcing him away from her.

The man stared into his love's eyes, his serious gaze holding her captive.

"Petra, we've survived every expedition ever. We have the best soldiers and more importantly… we have each other. What could go wrong?"

He traced her lips with the pad of his thumb, enjoying the blush that slowly crept over her face at his touch. "Rest can wait until tomorrow. Tonight, I just need you."

Petra pulled away for a moment, taking in the man that was sitting before her. He was beautiful. The moonlight illuminated his messy blonde hair that curled slightly at the nape of his neck. She loved how his cheeks were pink and how he seemed nervous, even after having spent most of his youth loving her. Her heart threatened to burst with all the adoration she was feeling.

"I love you, Auruo," she breathed.

"I love you too, Petra."

* * *

They rode out early that morning. Commander Erwin sat in the front of the entire arrangement, leading them into battle. Eren rode in the back-center flank, guarded closely by Levi's Squad. Eld and Petra stayed by Eren's side while Auruo and Gunther made up the rear. Levi rode in the front of their flank, his silent countenance putting both Yeager siblings on edge.

"Why aren't we riding with the Commander?" Eren asked worriedly.

Levi looked back at him as the rode forward, keeping his expression as neutral as possible.

"The Commander must have some plans of his own," he speculated.

Eren tried not to let his words worry him. So no one knew about the Commander's plans, eh? It sounded like the man trusted no one, especially if Levi didn't know what was happening.

"So we just keep riding forward, yeah?" Eren asked. Levi grunted in acknowledgement. The boy shook his head, worried immensely about the mission. Not only did no one know what the Commander's ultimate plan was, but also, no one knew why Taryn wasn't with him either. Eren couldn't figure out why Erwin would want to separate the siblings. Given that they both had special titan powers, why wouldn't he want to make use of both of them?

* * *

Taryn stood on the ground beside Hanji. The excitable scientist was busy rigging a set of barrel-styled blasters, hidden behind the numerous bushes and trunks of the tall trees. Taryn still couldn't believe how large these trees were. They reached easily over sixty meters, dwarfing even the tallest of the titans out there. She looked around, spotting Erwin's soldiers hidden amongst the large branches of the tree, biding their time.

"Hanji," the girl began, still looking around in awe.

"Hmm?"

"Why did the Commander split me and Eren up?"

Hanji wiped some sweat off of her forehead, pausing to stand back and look at her work. She tilted her head to the side, trying to see if anything was off.

"I'm sorry Taryn, but unfortunately, only the Commander knows his own plan."

Taryn cocked an eyebrow.

"Well obviously you know it as well, right? Especially given that you're carrying out his orders…"

Hanji frowned for a second before smacking herself on the head and chuckling.

"Oh, of course! Yes, only Mike and I know. Erwin hasn't told anyone else of his plans!"

"Why?" Taryn asked curiously. "Not even Levi?"

"Nope."

Taryn scratched her head, trying to understand the Commander's method of thinking.

"Don't think too hard- you don't want to hurt yourself," came a cunning voice.

She felt someone press a small kiss to the nape of her neck, making her squeal slightly. Taryn spun around and shoved Luka lightly in the chest.

"Not now!" she laughed.

He gave her a cheeky grin.

"But what if I never get the chance to kiss you again?"

Immediately, Taryn's smile faded. She reached out and ran her hand across his cheek.

"Don't say that," she whispered. He held her hand against his face, closing his eyes and savoring her touch.

"Taryn," he said, his eyes still shut, "if anything does happen to me, know that I'll always love you. I know we haven't been together for very long, but…but I don't know how else to explain it. You just kind of burst into my life, you know?"

He seemed to be struggling with his words.

"I was suffering, but there you were. A beautiful being with a bratty brother who kept annoying me."

"Hey! _You_ picked on him- not the other way around!" she exclaimed indignantly.

He opened those gorgeous hazel eyes and chuckled, watching her with such a loving look.

"Well, how else was I supposed to get the attention of his lovely older sister?"

Taryn gaped at him for a moment.

"Luka! You could have just talked to me you know!" she cried. The boy smiled widely and pulled her into his arms, dipping her down ever so slightly.

"But where's the fun in that?" he murmured, his lips just barely touching hers. She blushed and wanted to push him away as punishment, but somehow, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. What if something happened to him? Taryn could feel her throat burning at the idea. Spurred on by this horrible train of thought, she grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him down, pressing their lips together in a searing kiss.

Luka's eyes opened wide with surprise, but he quickly complied, moving his mouth passionately against hers. A quiet sigh escaped her as he playfully nipped her bottom lip.

They kissed until they ran out of air, finally pulling away from each other. A wolf-whistle sounded from behind them. Immediately the two jumped apart, bright red. They seemed to have forgotten where they were for the moment. But, to Taryn's pleasure, Luka never let go of her hand.

"Well, well," Hanji smirked as she walked up to the couple. Taryn's face turned ten shades darker red when she noticed Erwin was walking with the scientist.

"C-commander!" she managed to choke out.

He wore a small frown on his face, his icy eyes quickly flickering to the couple's entwined hands, yet he said nothing on the matter. He was ever the professional.

"Weber, we've been informed that the titan is on its way here. Go with your squad right away to head it off; protect the Yeager boy at all costs," he commanded.

"Yessir!" Weber exclaimed, using his free hand to salute the Commander.

"And me, sir?" Taryn asked, wondering what her role in this entire situation was to be.

"You stay here. We may need you to help us with something," he said vaguely before turning around to walk away. Hanji tagged behind him faithfully, chattering about something or another.

Taryn sighed. She hated to be kept in the dark.

"Hey, don't frown. I like your smile better," Luka grinned, pulling her closer to him.

"I… have a bad…feeling," Taryn said slowly. She wasn't sure what it was, but something felt off. Waves of negative emotions were crashing over her, whether they were self-made or from something else, she wasn't sure.

"Well how about tonight, after we're finished slaying all the titans, we go back to the castle to celebrate, and I'll help you get rid of those feelings by replacing them with some…other feelings? Feelings that involve immense pleasure?" he said with a sly smirk.

Taryn began to sputter with embarrassment. "Y-you…perverted…bloody dicks…always about sex…" Her rant ended with a final frustrated exclamation of "men!" before she rolled her eyes. Luka laughed loudly at her reaction as he found it incredibly endearing.

"Weber! Come on!" his squad leader called.

"Looks like I'm needed," he sighed. "I love you, Taryn," he whispered, laying a soft kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you after?"

Taryn nodded silently, not sure how much she believed those words.

* * *

Taryn stood high up on a tree, situated right next to the Commander. Hanji stood on the ground, her hand wrapped tightly around a trigger for one of the barrel-blasters. Her mouth was set in a wide, titan-like leer, and she was shivering with anticipation. Taryn grimaced.

"Are you ready?" Erwin asked quietly.

"I don't think I'll ever be ready," she muttered. He nodded in agreement.

 _THUD. THUD. THUD._

Heavy footsteps sounded, shaking the foundations of the forest itself.

"She's coming," Taryn whispered subconsciously. Erwin gave her a funny look.

" _She_?"

Taryn returned the look.

"Sorry what, Commander?"

He stared pointedly at her.

"You said 'she'. Why?"

Taryn felt surprised.

"I did? I-I don't know…it just feels like a 'she', I guess…" she answered softly.

He grunted in reply.

 _Why_ did _I say 'she'_? Taryn thought to herself. Even the idea seemed ridiculous. They hadn't seen a single female titan so far! Who knew if female titans even existed?

There was no time to think as Levi's Squad suddenly ran through the clearing. Taryn caught sight of her brother in the middle of the squad, his face twisted with fear and anger.

But what caught her attention was the fifteen-meter titan running behind them.

"Oh my goodness," she whispered under her breath. The titan was… _female_. Holy shit, she was right?

The female titan was made of pure muscle, all of which was visible since she lacked skin just like the colossal titan. Short blonde hair flew around her face as she sprinted after the squad at an incredible speed.

 _Capture Eren. Capture Eren. GET HIM AND LEAVE._

Those were the words running through Taryn's head- but they didn't belong to her. Brown eyes studied the female titan in surprise. The voice in her head sounded so…familiar…but she just couldn't put her finger on it. It was filled with determination- a single-track mindset.

Taryn felt Erwin shift next to her as he pulled his blade out from the 3DMG sheath.

"ATTACK!" he yelled. Taryn covered her ears, knowing that whatever happened next would be loud.

The second he had issued the command, Taryn watched as Hanji pressed down on her trigger, causing heavy, wired spears to shoot out from the barrels and straight into the titan. Fifteen other soldiers followed suit, all shooting metal into the titan, holding her in place.

Taryn felt like everything was moving in slow motion. She watched as the female lifted her arms to protect the nape of her neck. The action shocked her. The titan wasn't even going to try and defend herself? Or was she defending a human inside her?

From within all the dust and smoke that had been kicked up from the explosions, Levi appeared, flying through the commotion smoothly with his 3DMG. He landed neatly next to Taryn and Erwin, eyeing the twitching titan below them.

"You managed to lure her all the way here rather quickly," Erwin commented, his eyes not leaving their prisoner for even a second.

"Yes," Levi began before eyeing Taryn briefly. "The squad behind us confronted her and fought her valiantly."

Taryn beamed at this. So Luka fought valiantly? She almost couldn't wait for him to finally come by her side and brag about how he helped capture the female titan. His bright eyes would sparkle as he told the tale of his bravery, perhaps asking her for a reward in return for his outstanding accomplishment. Although she would refuse at first, Taryn knew that she would lavish him with all her love that night. Goodness knows the boy deserved it.

"Where is the squad?" she asked, looking around, wondering if she'd spot them amidst the thick branches.

"Taryn," Levi said slowly, his usually emotionless tone filled with something for once. Regret?

Taryn looked at him, ready to give him her attention. "Yes, Corporal?"

"The reason we got here so quickly is because the squad fought bravely…and died bravely."

He spoke carefully and gently.

"Yes, I understand they fought brav-" but then she stopped abruptly. Even Erwin had looked away from the titan to watch the girl standing next to him instead. He seemed to have grasped Levi's words quicker than she did- he was used to hearing about this in any case.

"They will be honoured greatly for their service," he said firmly.

His eyes widened as he watched Taryn gasp for air.

"Levi, keep an eye on the female," he muttered, quickly darting to Taryn's side. He caught her before her knees gave out.

There were no tears clouding those big, brown eyes- all he saw was pure fear. Erwin quickly cupped her face in his hands, ignoring the strange glances he was getting from Levi. He forced her to look him in the eyes.

"Breathe, Taryn," he murmured soothingly. She shook her head wildly, stuck between hyperventilating and gasping for air.

"Concentrate for me. Ignore what you're feeling right now- I need you to tell me what you can get from the titan!"

Taryn coughed, her lungs struggling to get the air it needed. She felt like she was suffocating. It wasn't fair! Luka wasn't dead…he couldn't be…

"But, Luka…" she whispered.

"Don't think about him right now," Erwin commanded firmly, yet he rubbed soft circles on her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "Tell me about the titan."

In the back of her mind, Taryn understood that the Commander was trying to distract her from the oncoming storm of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her at any moment. But she knew that she couldn't let that happen. _An emotional soldier made for a dangerously reckless one._ A lot of lives were at stake right now and she couldn't risk anymore losses- especially not her loved ones who were still alive.

Erwin watched with some concern as Taryn's face was suddenly wiped of any emotion. It definitely startled him to see her throw away any feelings as quick as a switch.

She finally seemed to get a handle on her breathing, firmly pushing away Erwin's hands from her face. He stepped back, waiting to see what she would say or do.

"She's scared. That's it."

Erwin narrowed his eyes.

"We would have guessed as much," Levi drawled, rolling his eyes. "I hope the person inside her hasn't pissed herself in fear yet…"

"Is there anything else, Taryn?" Erwin asked slowly. She shook her head.

"Let's see who you are then…"

* * *

 _How did this all happen_? Eren asked himself as he stared at the dead body hanging in front of him. Gunther's head was bashed in from the impact of hitting his head on a tree trunk. His neck had snapped at the force, killing him immediately.

"We need to move!" Auruo shouted, pulling Eren away from the corpse.

Levi's squad (sans Gunther) flew through the forest, desperately trying to figure out who had killed their comrade.

"What if it's the human from inside the titan?" Petra exclaimed.

 _Oh no_ …

A flash of lightning struck behind them; the loud sound waves created from the strike permeated through the forest, reaching the ears of every soldier around.

"She's back!"

The female titan sprinted towards them again, this time, intent on capturing her prey.

* * *

Taryn was riding next to Erwin, the group trying to make their way out of the forest, when they had heard the lightning strike.

 _It had all gone nightmarishly wrong. The female titan had called out to the other titans, issuing a wail that resulted in them devouring her alive._

 _She had been willing to sacrifice herself to escape. That made Taryn angry._

 _"No, you don't deserve the easy way out!" she snarled as she got ready to jump and cut down titans to reach the female._

 _"_ _Don't, Taryn!" Erwin yelled, grabbing her arm and pulling her back before she jumped into the fray. He had issued a retreat to all his soldiers, not wanting to waste any more lives. She stood beside him, seething quietly as he told Levi to refill his tank and replace his blades. Levi looked confused at the command but followed it nevertheless._

 _Taryn quickly understood why Erwin had asked Levi to do that. Not only was she quick, but she could also still feel the female's presence out there. She wasn't dead._

She let go of her horse's reins, ready to switch to her maneuvering gear. Erwin quickly caught sight of this.

"No, Taryn! I need you here!"

She glared at him. "Eren's out there and he needs me, sir," she gritted her teeth.

"Levi will protect him. I need you to tell me what _she's_ thinking- what she's feeling, right now."

Taryn scowled. "But my broth-"

"Taryn. Now."

There was nothing more that Taryn wanted at that moment than to punch the Commander. She had lost Luka. There was no fucking way she was going to lose Eren.

"Concentrate!" he roared. Still glowering, Taryn quickly shut her eyes and tried to isolate everything. She tried to isolate the pain, the sounds, the panic, her own fears…

She was drowning in darkness, such beautiful darkness. Nothing could touch her there…just the soft tendrils of black drifting all around her, embracing her in the most intimate of ways. A soft whispering drifted into her ears…that beautifully, familiar voice. It was such a cold voice, yet…so comforting. It was a voice that made her blood boil since it belonged to the girl who killed her lover, yet the voice also soothed her, carrying with it the promise of a delicious alternative to living. Who was it?

 _Eren…capture Eren…get him and run back…Taryn…come to me…come to die for me…I'm so sorry, Taryn…so sorry._

She jumped when she heard her own name. An apology?

All the sounds, sights and smells came flooding back to her.

"Sh-she wants me too," she muttered. Erwin's expression hardened as he heard those words.

Taryn ignored him, her mind running at a hundred miles a second. Who was this? Why was she apologizing?

 _Taryn! No!_

"Eren!" she gasped as her brother's voice entered her mind. The rage, agony and pain that ran through her head was overwhelming. Another flash of lightning filtered through the trees, followed by one of the most distressed roars she had ever heard.

She turned to Erwin. "He needs me- don't you dare try and stop me…"

With that, she flew off her horse, not sparing a look back. She didn't want to see his furious expression, not that she cared at the moment.

 _I'm coming, Eren_.

* * *

Auruo watched as the girl he loved more than life itself was crushed beneath the large foot of the female titan. Petra's back snapped in half, immediately ending her life. She fell against a tree trunk only a meter away from the dead, bisected body of Eld. An inhuman cry left his mouth.

He moved mechanically, trying his best to release his fury on the titan, aiming to kill. But it didn't work. His will to live died when Petra did.

The last thing he saw were her gorgeous eyes staring blankly at the forest canopy. With the flick of her wrist, the female titan ended his life too.

* * *

Eren never hated himself more than he did at that moment. All he could see were dead bodies.

Petra was propped up against a tree, her back snapped cleanly as the female titan had broken her body against the tree. Eld lay on the ground…or at least just his top half. He had been bitten into two halves and then spat out. Eren had to watch as the titan finally grabbed Auruo's wires and slammed him into the ground, instantly crushing all his organs and ending his life.

With a loud cry of fury, Eren bit into his hand, transforming instantly. He was going to kill this bitch, no matter what.

* * *

Taryn tried following the sound of Eren's titan cries, but she was completely thrown off by a number of voices shouting in her head. Anger, rage and pure hatred infiltrated her mind, pounding into her brain and causing her to cry out with pain.

She stopped to rest on a tree branch, clutching her head. It felt like someone was continuously stabbing her skull.

"EREN!" a voice cried as it moved past her. She looked up and squinted through her pain to see Mikasa flying past her. She was closely followed by Levi. With sudden clarity, Taryn realized how old Levi looked. Dark bags lay beneath his eyes. Lines littered his forehead and his mouth was in a permanent scowl. His eyes were tight yet emotionless.

She got ready to follow the two only to hear something that made her freeze in her tracks.

 _Bertl. Reiner. I've got him_.

Taryn's mouth dropped open.

 _I'm sorry, Taryn, but I've got to get you too_.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** Damn…I didn't expect myself to get so caught up in writing this story…I can't concentrate on much else (farewell, social life… *waves goodbye sadly). Why you do this to me, plot bunnies? Sorry for the shorter chapter! The next one will be action-packed and the end of this arc.

Also, not going to lie, I definitely got depressed while writing this chapter- I think the emotional music I was listening to played a large part in that. Don't listen to the track "At Wit's End" from the _Pirates of the Caribbean III_ movie soundtrack while writing emotional scenes, folks… or just don't listen to any of it…because it's too beautifully tragic.

Anyways, a lovely thanks to **Dareaderreads** whose reviews inspire me so much (you're awesome!) **_Please keep reviews incoming everyone- they truly push me to continue writing!_** Also, thank you to everyone who has favourited and followed this story so far- ya'll rock! I hope you continue to enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

 **Spoilers ahoy!** ( _If you don't know the identity of the female titan, yet_ ).

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Five: Heavy Losses

 _"_ _Burning night in my eyes, blinding me from the truth,_

 _If there's a shadow in me, the dark is a tidal wave inside of you._

 _Taking shots of communion, getting drunk on your antidote,_

 _I'll save you a seat next to me down below."_

 _(Long Way Down- Robert DeLong)_

* * *

Taryn fell to her knees on the tree branch, her head swimming with confusion.

"Why?" she muttered under her breath.

"EREN!" she heard Mikasa scream distantly once more. Taryn shook her head and stood up, focused entirely on her brother. The forest trembled with the fight between the two titans, nearly knocking Taryn off balance. She shakily stood up once more and took off on her 3DMG before she could fall again.

As Taryn flew through the forest, all she could see was a blur of green zoom past her. The sounds of the fight before her shook her to the core. Roars, shrieks and sickening, crunching noises drilled into her ears. She cursed herself for not being as quick with the maneuvering gear as her adopted sister was.

Suddenly, a flash of gold caught her eye. She halted abruptly and landed on a nearby branch to see what it was. The sight in front of her made her curiously numb. Resting against the trunk of the tree she was standing on, lay a broken Petra. Her once-warm amber eyes stared vacantly up at Taryn. The wind shook strands of her short hair. Taryn's eyes moved along Petra's outstretched arm, noticing that the woman's fingertips were almost touching the tips of another figure's fingers. Taryn gulped. Auruo.

The man face down on the ground, his neck positioned in a strange way. Even in death, he wanted to remain as close to Petra as possible, she thought. It was so strangely morbid. Finally her eyes came to rest on the gold that had caught her eye.

Eld.

Her tall, blonde friend. Only the top half of his body lay on the soft earth. Guts and intestines stretched out on the ground around him, blood covering everything. Taryn resisted the urge to gag, instead trying to focus her attention on the brown eyes that had lost its sparkle. His hair remained neat, even after the fight.

Taryn ignored the battle going on before her. Even though every instinct in her body urged her to go and save Eren, she pushed them away, telling herself that her brother would still be okay even if she came a minute or two late. Right now, she needed to pay her respects to the dead…to her friends. She dropped softly to the ground and reached out to close the eyes of her fallen comrades. When she finally came to Eld, Taryn sank to her knees and softly pressed her lips to his unblemished temple.

"Mikasa, no!" she heard Levi roar.

"I'm sorry guys," she whispered before getting up and flying away. There were no tears. She had lost too many people today to cry. Such was the cruel world they lived in. Instead, she felt herself descend into a comfortable sense of detachment.

As she raced ahead to reach her brother, she watched in cold horror as Levi cut the female's maw open, retrieving Eren from inside it. The female titan was seated on the ground, leaning back against the tree. Taryn quickly surveyed the situation. Levi had managed to cut the female so badly that she couldn't stand or move her arms, rendering her defenseless- except for her ability to create a hard, crystal-like material on the nape of her neck in order to protect the human inside her.

"Mikasa! Captain! Is Eren alright?" she yelled desperately. The two looked around, surprised to see Taryn there. Levi quickly recovered though.

"Yeager! Weren't you supposed to be with the Commander?"

She shook her head.

"He allowed me to come her," she lied. Normally, Taryn would have felt guilty about lying, especially to her superior, but now she just couldn't give a damn.

"Tch…" she knew that Levi could see right through her feeble lie. "Doesn't matter. Anyways, come along, brats. We need to leave before she can heal herself."

With a worried nod, Mikasa followed the Captain out of the forest, her eyes glued to Eren the entire time. Taryn was so relieved to know that her little brother was safe. She turned to leave, but a voice, that same voice, spoke again.

 _Forgive me. Please. I've failed. Their deaths were for nothing_ …

Taryn looked at the female titan, shocked to see huge tears leaking from the titan's eyes. Those large, pale-blue eyes shifted to look at her.

 _Taryn. Forgive me._

It was normally in Taryn's nature to be warm and compassionate. She had a large capacity to forgive and to love. But Taryn didn't even feel like herself any more. She had lost too much.

"I hope you die in the most painful and gruesome manner, you despicable bitch." Her words came out hard and cold. There was not a single tone of pity or empathy in the question.

The voice didn't respond. The blue eyes shifted back down and shut themselves tightly. Tears continued to stream down the titan's cheeks.

As she flew away, she heard the voice one last time.

 _I'm sorry_.

Sorry _doesn't bring them back_ , Taryn thought bitterly to herself.

Now that she wasn't focused on Eren, Taryn began to notice the number of bodies that littered the forest floor. So many soldiers had died. Too many had sacrificed themselves. Luka…

Her breath caught in her throat when she noticed two ten meter titans hunched beneath a tree. They were poking and prodding at the dead bodies, not eating them though. One of those dead bodies looked too familiar. His black hair was still messy as ever and his beautiful hazel eyes were open, staring up at the sky above him. It looked like he was cloud gazing…like he wasn't dead. From what she could see, there wasn't a single mark on him. Yet, there was no mistaking the fact that he was dead.

"Luka…" she choked. She immediately changed her course, ready to descend down and grab his body. She wouldn't let him rot down here with the titans- he deserved better than that. Before she could even begin moving towards him, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her away from the bodies. The jerky motion caused her harness straps to bite into her chest, making her cry out with pain and frustration.

"No, Taryn," a cold voice said firmly. Taryn snapped her head up and saw icy blue eyes staring straight ahead.

"Let me go!" she hissed, struggling against the Commander's strong grip.

"He's dead…whether or not you have his body, it doesn't change the fact that he's dead, Taryn. Don't sacrifice your life for pointless emotions."

Taryn immediately stilled in his arms, shocked by the man's words.

"Pointless…emotions?" she gasped.

Erwin didn't reply, instead choosing to tighten his grip on her.

"You're a fucking heartless bastard," she snarled, not caring that he was her superior. Emotions were what made a person human- the ability to feel everything- love, anger, hatred…grief… So what did that make her since she couldn't feel anything at the moment?

Erwin ignored the harsh words as he was used to hearing them at this point. Yet somehow, it cut deeper to hear it from her. She was the one who tried to assure him that he wasn't a bad person after all. But he guessed it made sense- she had lost a man she loved. He wasn't sure what that felt like and he wasn't sure if he ever would.

He did not _want_ to feel that.

They were reaching the edge of the forest, almost at the meeting point with the rest of the soldiers and wagons. Taryn could hear the distant sound of soldiers loading the dead bodies they could retrieve onto the wagons.

"Don't you care about them at all?" she whispered.

"They'll be marked as 'missing in action'," he finally replied.

"Bu-"

"No. Don't even think about it, Miss Yeager," he commanded coldly. Taryn's eyebrows rose up until they disappeared under her bangs.

"A-are you even human, sir?" she hissed indignantly.

He didn't answer.

Neither said a word as they touched down on the ground, just outside the forest. Erwin finally let go of her, not even sparing her glance before walking off to get reports from the squad leaders. Hanji gave them both a quizzical look but said nothing.

Taryn looked around and spotted her brother lying down in a wagon. Her gaze softened. At least he was all right. Mikasa stood near him, stroking back his hair every so often. Taryn continued to survey her surroundings.

Some soldiers sat on the ground, sobbing at the loss of their friends. Armin and Jean were helping to load dead bodies onto the wagons. She watched as Captain Levi limped over to a row of dead bodies on the ground. A small, pale hand stuck out from under one of the white sheets covering the bodies. It had a faint bite mark on it. Levi knelt down and opened up the white sheet, fiddling around with the body. She didn't know what he was doing.

Erwin stood with a shorter squad leader just a few meters away from her. The two discussed their situation and plans in low tones. As the squad leader spoke, Erwin raised his eyes and met Taryn's gaze for a moment. His blue eyes held the whisper of a challenge in them, daring her to disobey his orders.

Taryn gritted her teeth. So the Commander thought she would just listen to him, did he? Like hell she would.

* * *

The horses ran at a steady speed, pulling along the wagons of dead bodies as they raced toward the wall.

Erwin rode at the front once again. Levi rode by his side. He noticed that the Commander was unusually silent. Of course, Erwin never said much in the first place, but this time, the silence seemed…odd.

He opened his mouth to ask the Commander what was wrong when cry caught his attention.

"TITANS! THEY'RE COMING FROM THE SOUTH!"

Levi watched as the Commander's eyes hardened. He didn't seem surprised at all. He turned around to see two large titans running towards them. Deviants. Levi cursed under his breath. The titans were fine not paying any attention to them before, so which idiot changed that? He squinted his eyes and caught sight of a small figure riding in front of the titans.

"Yeager," he growled. It was Taryn Yeager. _Of course_ it would be a Yeager brat. Those damned siblings and their arbitrary tendencies.

Levi's eyes widened slightly. A larger body sat behind Taryn, its arms wrapped securely around her neck. Was that her boyfriend's corpse? Aside from the anger he felt towards the young girl, a flash of pity ran through him as well.

"Erwin, there aren't any tall buildings or trees we can use to fight," he stated plainly, his eyes roving across the landscape as he tried to come up with a solution.

The Commander didn't even turn around to scope out the severity of the situation.

"Move out and speed up. Our only choice is to keep running to the wall," he said determinedly.

Levi grunted in confirmation and slowed down his horse, falling back somewhat so that he was riding next to one of the wagons. He knew what they had to do next to increase their speed.

"Dump the bodies."

The two soldiers on the wagon stared at the captain, their mouths agape.

"But…but!"

"Make a choice, now," Levi commanded.

* * *

Taryn could feel Luka's hair tickling her neck as they rode. His dead body weighed heavily against hers, causing her back to scream in protest. His skin already felt clammy and cold- a very unnerving feeling for Taryn.

"Hold on, love," she murmured softly. The two ten meter titans behind her ran quickly, wide grins stretched across their faces. She knew she had been taking a risk when she went to retrieve Luka's body, but at the moment, she had been so filled with anger and grief that she didn't care.

Suddenly, a large hand swooped down, attempting to knock her off of her horse. With a huff, Taryn ducked, narrowly avoiding the hand. But in her endeavor to stay on the horse, her movements ruffled Luka's body, causing him to fall off. She heard him land on the ground with a sickening crunch, his body rolling a few feet away behind her.

"You fuckers!" she screamed, turning her horse around to get his body back. Before she could even make her way towards him, one of the titans crushed him under its foot as it ran to her.

Taryn watched in horror as the titan lifted its foot to leave a grossly mangled body pressed into the ground. There was no way she could salvage Luka's body now… The other titan ran past her, hungrily making its way to the soldiers desperately running in front.

"Taryn!"

She knew that voice so well, and to be honest, it was the last voice she wanted to hear at the moment.

"Leave me be, Commander! I made this mess," she said, self-hatred flashing through her eyes, "and now, I'll fix it."

Erwin frowned and kept riding. He rode straight past the titan and towards the area where Luka's body had been crushed. Taryn didn't have time to watch whatever he was doing. She turned her attention to the titan and cleared her throat.

"You'd better listen to me," she growled lowly, addressing the creature that was chasing her.

It cocked its head to the side but didn't stop its stride.

"Stop chasing us and go back to the forest," she commanded in a clear and unyielding tone. Although she wanted to scream and cry and curse…although she wanted to get off her horse and chop the beast into tiny bits…she couldn't further endanger her fellow soldiers.

The titan slowed down a bit, its eyes trained on Taryn. She gritted her teeth.

"I said GO NOW!" she yelled once more. That stopped the titan in its tracks. It stood still and watched as Taryn rode away, not attempting to follow. After a few moments, it turned around and began to walk slowly back to the forest.

Only once it had turned away did Taryn let a bitter sob bubble out from her throat. He was really gone… Her Luka. A sharp yell from up ahead snapped her out of her trance.

 _No… the other titan,_ she thought wildly. But to her surprise, she watched as the formation up ahead seemed to gain speed. That confused her. How were they doing that? Then she noticed the large white figures being thrown out from the wagons.

 _Oh my goodness…they're tossing the bodies!_ She wanted to cry. It was all her fault.

"What the fuck is wrong with me!" she roared, clutching the reins tightly with her hands until her knuckles turned white. The titan soon fell behind, unable to catch up with the humans. At least they were safe.

The light sound horse galloping next to her came from beside her. It was Commander Erwin.

"Keep going. We'll stop in a few meters to rest and redirect ourselves," he called out to her.

Taryn studied him carefully. She still didn't know what he had done with Luka's body, but it was obviously he hadn't retrieved it. She couldn't even get mad at him for that.

"Yes, sir," she managed to choke out. Erwin stayed quiet and kept riding, making sure to stay right next to her the entire time.

* * *

They ran until they were just a few more meters away from the wall. In order to make sure that everyone was okay and that they were going in the right direction, the entire force made a stop. The horses were resting or grazing on the grassy grounds, whinnying every once in a while.

Taryn stopped by the wagon Mikasa and Eren were in, making sure to give both of them a gentle kiss on the foreheads. Armin had run up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly.

"I'm so happy you're not hurt!" he exclaimed. Taryn hated herself. She had endangered his life, as well as her brother's and Mikasa's, yet all they did was show concern for her. She patted his back and pressed her lips to his warm cheek.

"I'm happy you're okay too, Armin," she murmured against his flushed skin.

"Armin! I need you to help me over here!" Jean called out from behind another wagon. Armin sighed.

"You'll be okay?" he asked, studying her carefully. Once again, Taryn marveled at the boy's amazing astuteness.

"Yeah," she answered quietly. With a nod, he left. Taryn let out a deep breath, trying so hard to feel something. Sadness. Anger. Anything?

She collapsed onto the ground slightly far away from everyone. She didn't want to be near the dead bodies. She didn't want to be near her friends and comrades. Most of all, she didn't want to be near _him_.

Luck wasn't on her side apparently.

"Miss Yeager."

Taryn grimaced at the voice that came from above her. She slowly stood and looked up to meet the Commander's hard stare.

"Commander…I-I'm so…so sor-" but she couldn't finish that sentence. No apology could ever make up for the amount of danger she had put all of their lives in. It couldn't make up for the fact that she had gravely insulted and disobeyed her superior.

Erwin reached into his jacket pocket and pulled something out. He handed it to her. Taryn felt her heart sink and her throat tighten as she accepted the object. It was a Scouting Regiment patch.

"This is proof that they lived to me," he began. The rough material of the patch pressed against the pads of her fingers. It felt familiar- just like whenever she'd run her hands over Luka's jacket to straighten out the creases.

"It belonged to Luka," he explained tiredly, confirming her thoughts. Erwin's icy blue eyes quickly glanced over her, taking in her disheveled and weary appearance. Taryn, in turn, noticed the dark rings under his eyes, unspoken emotions swimming in them.

She cradled the patch in her hand, trying to garner Luka's essence from it.

 _I love you, Taryn_.

His voice whispered through her mind, carrying with it a dreadful sense of finality.

As if Earth's gravity had suddenly doubled, Taryn's knees gave out beneath her, and she crumpled to the dirt, finally feeling reality crash into her all at once.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and sobs racked her body. He was gone. He was truly gone. _They_ were all gone.

Taryn didn't care that the Commander was seeing her at her weakest. It was proof that she was human, right? Her sobs subsided into desperate gasps for air as she tried to hang onto the good memories she had.

She wouldn't feel Luka's gentle kiss on her neck or hear his warm "I love you" at night. He wouldn't be there to make her laugh when she was sad or to make her blush when he was feeling playful.

She wouldn't hear Eld's cheerful voice sound through her door as he came to her room in the mornings to wake her up.

She wouldn't be able to have quiet conversations with Petra, enjoying the young woman's beautiful presence.

She wouldn't be able to join Gunther in making fun of Auruo when the older man bit his tongue, while smarting off to Levi.

Where her heart should have been warm with all those memories, instead there was a cold, gaping hole- and it was quickly sealing itself off with a wall as cold as ice.

 _Luka…why did you leave me_ , she thought sadly.

* * *

As the regiment rode back into their town, there were no cheers of gratitude or shouts of welcome awaiting them. Instead, villagers grumbled, murmured and gossiped, spitting venomous words at them- questioning their worth.

"You guys live off of our money, and what do you come back with? More dead people!"

"MY SON! WHERE IS MY SON!?"

" _Bloody soldiers…sucking off of our livelihood and doing shit in return_ …"

Taryn walked by Erwin at the front and watched with respect as he walked past all the villagers, ignoring their words. That mask he always had on- it was present once again, except this time, she could see the emotional and mental damage that had been inflicted on him; it was all evident in his eyes. She couldn't even begin to imagine how taxing it must be for the Commander to lose so many men yet somehow find the strength to carry on with his mission.

Somewhere behind them, Eren was still laying down in the wagon, except he was awake. He heard all of the curses and comments the people were passing around. Each one stung him personally. Didn't they know that the Regiment was doing its hardest to protect them? Didn't they understand how hard it was for them to lose their comrades? Their friends?

No. Of course the people didn't know. They lived in their safe little bubble, not truly understanding the horrors of the titan-run world.

But he heard one voice that brought the smallest amount of hope to him.

"Wow! Look! It's the Survey Corps! See how even though they get knocked down, they still get back up!"

Eren shot up into a sitting position, ignoring the screams from his sore muscles. Bright green eyes darted wildly around the crowd, looking for the owner of that optimistic voice. To his pleasure, he saw two little boys standing on some boxes to peep over the crowd and watch the regiment make its return. One of the little boys had a bright grin on his face, staring at them with awe.

But as with all such circumstances, nothing good lasts for long. Those pure voices were drowned out with more screams and yells from the angry masses. Eren sighed and sunk back down in the wagon, trying to block them out. Tears slid from his eyes as he thought about the friends he had lost- Petra, Auruo, Eld and Gunther.

Such precious lives.

* * *

Taryn knocked on the wooden door that stood slightly ajar before her. She felt her stomach clench with guilt and nervousness as she heard the Commander's voice sound from within.

"Come in."

With stiff fingers, she pushed the door fully open and walked across the threshold the way a dead man walks to the gallows.

"Please close the door behind you," Erwin said without look up from some paperwork he was shuffling around.

Taryn turned around and slowly shut the door, feeling like that mundane action was representative of her signing her own death warrant. She took a deep breath and turned around to make her way over to the Commander's desk. Without waiting to be asked, she took a seat in one of the chairs.

She closed her eyes and bit down on her tongue, ready for whatever harsh words the Commander would throw at her. She deserved every single insult and reprimand.

"How are you?"

Her brown eyes snapped open as she stared at the Commander in shock. He had asked the question so softly and with a hint of…concern? She fidgeted uncomfortably under his intense gaze.

"Fine," she muttered.

"Indeed," he hummed. Erwin knew she wasn't fine, but he wasn't going to push it. Everyone healed at their own pace. In his case, he had never healed. He never got the time to. He also wasn't sure if he wanted to heal- would it make him forget his anger, his original mission to annihilate the titans? Would it make him forget about his friends and comrades who had died in pursuit of this mission?

"If I may," Taryn asked, jerking the Commander out of his thoughts, "why did you call me down here?"

Erwin leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over one another, his eyes never leaving Taryn.

"You made a mistake, Miss Yeager. It happens. Don't fall into a spiral of self-loathing and depression. It gets you nowhere- trust me on that."

Taryn peered at the Commander curiously. Was he speaking from personal experience?

"I know, sir. But…it's just that... I keep messing up. First with trying to retrieve L-L…" she couldn't say his name. "…retrieve his body, a-and then I completely insulted you, (which I apologize for, sir)…s-so now I just feel…like a complete…f-failure."

The last word left a bitter taste in her mouth. She detested that word and all it stood for.

"Well you definitely aren't a failure, Miss Yeager. That's actually the main reason I called you here."

"Oh so you didn't just call me down here to see my lovely face?" she chuckled sarcastically. She missed the strange look that passed over the Commander's face.

"No…"

Taryn looked at him awkwardly. "Oh, right. I mean I was just joki…nevermind"

Erwin cleared his throat and tried to ignore the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Miss Yeager, you reported something during the fight with the female titan. You said she spoke of capturing you?"

"Oh, yeah. She kept…apologizing to me..."

"Was there anything else she communicated to you?"

Taryn looked down at her intertwined fingers, trying to remember everything.

"Her main goal was to capture Eren."

She heard the Commander's chair creak as he leaned forward.

"Taryn, look at me please."

She slowly raised her head to meet his eyes.

"Was there anything else she said? Anything at all?"

Taryn shook her head, trying her best to make it look like she wasn't lying because…well, she was lying. She had deliberately left out the part about Bertholt and Reiner. There were only two people who called Bertholt by his nickname "Bertl"- Annie and Reiner. And Taryn was willing to bet that Reiner didn't secretly have a set of breasts under his uniform.

It hadn't taken long for Taryn to figure out who the female titan, especially after she had mentioned the two male soldiers. As much anger as Taryn felt towards Annie for being the female titan, for killing her boyfriend, friends and comrades, and for trying to kidnap Eren, she couldn't help but feel crushed at the thought. This girl was supposed to be her friend too. She had kept her company and cared about her in typical Annie-form.

Bertholt and Reiner were also her friends. They were sweet and gentle and looked out for everyone on the team. How could these three be involved in such a seemingly insidious plan?

Erwin studied the girl before him. He knew when someone was lying. The Commander frowned. Taryn wouldn't have much reason to lie or hide anything, especially considering that her brother's life was in danger and that the titan had murdered her boyfriend. So who was she trying to protect?

He decided not to push it for now.

"If you remember anything, please let me know immediately," he sighed. Taryn nodded, understanding his words as a dismissal. As she moved to open the door, his low voice made her pause.

"Taryn, please take care of yourself. Cadet Weber might be gone, but you still have other loved ones to think about."

She clenched her fist and left the room. Erwin let out a deep breath and sagged in his chair. It wasn't easy losing so many soldiers to the titans. Composed and determined as he was, he never wanted to lose an exorbitant amount of his men.

A timid knock sounded on his door a few minutes after Taryn had left. Thinking that she had returned with a change of heart to tell him new information, he answered without hesitation.

"Come in."

A small blonde head peeked inside the room.

"Um, Commander, sir?"

Erwin raised a thick eyebrow and immediately straightened up in his chair. "Cadet Arlert. What brings you here?"

Armin walked inside the Commander's office rather nervously. He had never actually spoken directly to the man whom he found quite intimidating- regardless of how much he respected him. He cleared his throat timidly and opened his mouth to speak, hoping that his voice wouldn't come out as a squeak.

"Sir, I think I know who the female titan is…"

* * *

Eren was sitting at the table in the castle's dungeon once again, except this time, his only other companion was Levi. It was so quiet without Auruo and Petra's squabbles punctuated by Gunther's guffaws of laughter. Taryn and Eld weren't there to talk quietly at the end of the table either, softly chuckling at their own inside jokes. The emerald-eyed boy sighed sadly. If he was feeling the loss of his friends heavily right now, he could only imagine the devastation Captain Levi was going through…after all, they were his squad. They were the few people Levi actually trusted, aside from Erwin and Hanji.

Levi was lost in his own thoughts, stirring a cup of tea that had gone cold a long time ago.

"I wonder what's taking Erwin so long…" muttered to no one in particular. "Maybe his constipation is acting up again…"

Eren weakly chuckled at the captain's joke. Levi set his teacup down and hissed in pain, clutching his leg.

The overwhelming feeling of grief and guilt crashed over Eren once again.

"I'm sorry, Captain. If I had just…they'd still be alive and your leg wouldn't be hurt…"

Levi grimaced slightly as he shifted his weight to take some pressure off of his injured leg before turning to face Eren.

"Don't apologize, brat. There's nothing we can do about it now," he said quietly, not unkindly though.

Suddenly the doors were opened and a group of people stepped in. Eren's eyes widened. Standing in the front were Jean, Mikasa and Armin.

"You guys?" he gasped. Were they supposed to be the replacements for Petra, Eld, Auruo and Gunther?

Erwin walked in behind the three, followed by a very dejected Taryn.

"Um…" Eren looked very surprised.

"We think we know who the female titan is." Erwin wasted no time. If Eren was surprised before, he looked absolutely dumbstruck now.

"But- how?"

"Sit. We'll explain everything," Erwin nodded to the table. Eren slowly sat back down. Armin sat next to him and Mikasa sat on his other side. Taryn sat across from him and Jean was next to her. Erwin was at the head of the table, straight across from Levi.

He pulled out a huge map and laid it across the table. Erwin quickly covered their new strategy to corner the female titan, prove her identity and lay waste to her plans.

After he finished describing everything, Eren nodded slowly before asking the obvious question.

"So…who is it?"

Erwin turned to look at Eren. "It's someone from your graduating class. Someone currently in the Military Police."

Eren's jaw dropped open. Taryn moved uncomfortably in her seat. Erwin shifted those icy blue eyes of his to Taryn, catching her in his intense gaze.

"Armin figured it out," he continued, his stare never leaving her.

 _Fuck, does he know?_ Taryn thought in fear. Did he know that she lied to him?

"It's Annie Leonhart."

Taryn watched her brother's reaction. Disbelief and denial were prominently displayed on his features. Before he could say anything, Erwin spoke.

"Cadets, go and begin preparations for the journey. We'll leave in a week." He turned to look at Levi.

"Levi, please get Hanji to look at your leg. She can wrap it up for now." Levi glared at the Commander but didn't shoot a snarky comment his way. Everyone got up from the table, making their way to the door to leave the dungeon room. Eren seemed glued to his seat until Mikasa gently tugged him out of it and pulled him to the door.

Taryn made to get up and leave as quickly as possible until Erwin stopped her.

"Miss Yeager. You stay here, please," he said in a low, firm voice. _Oh shit_. She knew she was in trouble now.

Armin peered at her curiously before finally shutting the door behind him, leaving her to her panicked thoughts and the heavy silence sitting between herself and the Commander.

He cut straight to the chase.

"You knew who it was, didn't you?"

Taryn slowly turned around to face him.

"Yes, sir," she said quietly, unable to meet his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Taryn couldn't speak. She couldn't find the words to defend her silence on the subject of Annie.

"Come here, Taryn," he said, his voice softer. He beckoned her to his side. Taryn hesitantly made her way to stand by him, still unable to look him in the eye.

He put a large, cool hand on her shoulder. It was meant to be a gesture of comfort and reassurance- Taryn saw it as a promise of punishment. She flinched away from his touch. Hurt flashed in the Commander's eyes, but he quickly hid it.

"I didn't want to believe that it was her," she whispered. Erwin internally sighed.

"I understand, Tar-"

Something in Taryn snapped.

"Do you? Do you really understand, _sir_?" she seethed. Erwin looked slightly taken aback.

"I've lost my boyfriend, my parents, my comrades…I've lost my home, my childhood and I'm a freak for being able to communicate with titans! I didn't want to lose my friend either. I didn't want to believe it was her…"

Commander Erwin could have said that he too had lost a lot. How he had also lost his childhood, his father, the woman he loved when he was younger…thousands of soldiers and his friends. He could have told her how he lost any semblance of human emotions, fueled only by the desire to liberate humanity from the titan's tight clutches. But no…he didn't say any of that. He was thirty-two, giving him a lot more time to cope and understand all of these losses. She was still young- only nineteen years old. She was trying to protect what was left of her small, broken family while helping him with his mission. Throw in her titan ability, and he could understand why she probably felt like a maelstrom of messy emotions, anger and mistakes.

"Taryn," he said softly, " _I understand_ …more than you'll realize. But, you've got to make defeating the titans your number one priority. Everything- _everyone_ else comes after."

He placed his hand on her shoulder one more time, pleased to see that she didn't flinch away from him. Instead, she finally looked up at him, those brown eyes brimming with hurt and guilt.

Erwin felt his breath catch in his throat as foreign feelings stirred in his chest. What were these feelings? He felt like…like protecting her. She was so small- so fragile and broken.

To his surprise, Taryn leaned forward and rested her forehead on his chest, smushing her face against the smooth fabric of his white shirt. No one would have even considered doing this to the Commander as everyone was incredibly intimidated by him- Levi would have fainted at the sight of a cadet invading the Commander's personal space. The only one who ever dared to do stuff like this was Hanji.

Once again, this young girl had a habit of overstepping her boundaries when it came to physical touches, but Erwin wasn't irritated. He knew that she probably needed to feel some human contact at the moment.

He enjoyed the warmth that radiated from her closeness, letting it chase away some of the coldness he was always bathed in. He felt her lips move against his chest.

"M smforyf…" she mumbled.

"Pardon?" he asked, chuckling slightly.

She shifted her head so that her mouth was free.

"I said I'm sorry. I'll try to be a good soldier from now on, sir."

Erwin allowed a rare, indulgent smile to appear on his lips- not that she saw it. He patted her head gently, marveling at how soft those black curls were. He quickly withdrew his fingers, restraining himself from running his hands through her hair.

"I know you will."

* * *

It was the night before the takedown of the female titan (AKA Annie). Once again, Taryn found herself wandering around the large castle, much emptier now with the loss of so many of her comrades. She didn't want to go to her room and sleep- especially since Luka wouldn't be there to hold her as she slept. She thought about sneaking down to cuddle with Eren, but reconsidered when she thought about the fact that Mikasa would probably be down there with him.

Taryn also considered visiting Armin but dropped the idea almost immediately. She didn't want to bother him. She stopped walking when she realized she had somehow ended up in the castle's kitchen.

With a defeated whine, she slumped against a wall and cradled her head against her knees. Annie was the female titan…the one who had killed her boyfriend and other friends. Bertholt and Reiner were somehow involved, but Taryn didn't want to think about that, especially since she could hardly believe it.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the footsteps that were walking up to her. Pretty soon, a warm body slid down the wall to sit next to her, wrapping their arm around her shoulders and pulling her tightly against them. Their scent was familiar- it was home to her.

"Hey, Eren," she murmured to her little brother. He chuckled, secretly proud that she knew it was him without even looking.

"What are you doing down here looking so…lost?" She lifted her head up to meet her brother's brilliant- green eyes.

"I couldn't sleep."

He laughed again. "I think insomnia runs in the Yeager blood." Taryn smiled weakly.

Then she realized something. "Where's Mikasa?" she asked, looking around.

Eren blushed. "Why do you assume that I'd know where she'd be?"

A soft smile crept over Taryn's lips. "Other than the fact that you love her and that you guys are always attached at the hip?"

Eren huffed in irritation, his face a bright red at this point.

"Of course I l-love her…she's our…sister," he said, making a face at the last word as if he detested it.

Taryn buried her face into the crook of his neck.

"I know you don't see her as _your_ sister," she muttered gently.

"Shut up, Taryn," he grunted. She just grinned into his skin. His face softened at this. Taryn didn't smile as often as she used to, so knowing that she was even grinning made him happy.

They sat together in silence for a while, Eren tenderly stroking his sister's hair while Taryn enjoyed her little brother's attention.

"I-I'm sorry about what happened to…Luka," he stuttered after a bit. Eren felt his sister immediately tense up in his arms and he wondered if he shouldn't have said that.

"Thanks, Eren," she whispered. He gripped her tighter, unable to come to terms with how he'd feel if he lost…Mikasa. At that moment, he suddenly realized that he wanted nothing more than to hold the girl…to never let go of her.

"I-I think I should try and get some rest," he coughed, trying to dismiss his thoughts and desires. Taryn sighed and pulled away from her brother. He stood up, stretching slightly to get rid of the numb feeling that had settled in his right leg.

He looked down to see Taryn smiling up at him- she was fucking beaming.

"Missing someone?" she asked innocently, smirking at the blush that was once again taking over his face. Eren cursed the fact that Taryn could read him so well.

"Go to sleep, Taryn," he muttered before bending down to give her a small kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight."

With that, Taryn watched her brother turn around and make his way down to the dungeons- no doubt back to the bed where Mikasa was curled up into a ball...

* * *

Eren cringed as the door to his dungeon room creaked when he opened it. Mikasa was asleep and he didn't want to wake her up. He considered it to be a miracle that he managed to creep out without her noticing. When he walked into his room, a gentle smile spread over his mouth when he took in the sight of the girl sleeping on his bed.

Powerful emotions swept over him- possessiveness, happiness, desire and…love? He flinched. No, he couldn't think of her like that. She deserved way better.

With a forlorn sigh, he clambered into bed and tried to put as much space as he could between them, fighting the desire to actually do the complete opposite and leave no space between them.

To his chagrin, as soon as he'd settled down, Mikasa turned around in her sleep and unconsciously snuggled up against his chest. Her silky black hair tickled his nose. He could feel her soft warm breath coming out in small puffs against his chest, stirring his heart and making his face heat up. He tried to gently push her away but she wouldn't budge. Damn, this girl was as stubborn in her sleep as she was when she was awake. He sighed and gave up, instead trying to focus his thoughts on things that weren't centered on Mikasa. Goodness knows he'd die of embarrassment if Mikasa woke up to find a certain part of him…up and flying at full mast. He winced just thinking about it.

"Mmm…Eren," she mumbled in her sleep, shifting slightly so that her hands were resting against his abdomen and her body was pressed flush against his. Eren gulped as that certain part began to awaken.

 _Fuck…not now!_ He thought desperately. _Argh! Think about Captain Levi! Captain Levi cleaning in a maid outfit- that's got to be disgusting right?_ Oddly enough, even though he didn't swing for the other team, Eren still found that image to be quite interesting. _Ah! No! Fucking hell! Um..um…Horseface! Yeah! Jean- ugly bastard that he is_ … To his immense relief, imagining Jean was enough to relax all parts of his body within a span of ten minutes.

 _Shit, Mikasa, you're going to be the death of me_ , he thought tiredly.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Erwin walked around the castle, checking the hallways to make sure that everything was okay. Or at least, that was the excuse he was going to use if he bumped into anyone. The truth was that even though he had been on more missions than he could count, the plan they were going to carry out tomorrow worried him. He couldn't understand why.

He continued to prowl about the hallways when he was stopped by a small figure curled up against the wall. He immediately recognized the person to be Taryn. He assumed she couldn't sleep either, once again.

"Taryn," he whispered, crouching down beside her. She didn't respond. He lightly tapped her shoulder but stopped when he noticed that her eyes were tightly shut.

So she was asleep. He frowned. But why in the hallway?

"Taryn…why are you asleep out here?" he asked, trying to gently shake her awake.

" _Mphh…fuck off, Eren…_ 'mm tryna sleep…" she slurred in her sleep. Erwin chuckled. She was quite mean spirited in her sleep.

"Well you can't sleep out here…" he mumbled, more to himself than to her. Not that she would have heard anyways. He couldn't leave her out here sleeping like this. Her body would ache in the morning and that wouldn't be conducive for their mission…or at least that's what he tried to convince himself. He was really just ignoring the fact that maybe he felt the tiniest amount of concern for her in a way that extended beyond just their "commander-subordinate" relationship.

With a sigh, he placed one arm under her knees and the other behind her back and scooped her up, carrying her bridal style. She was surprisingly light, he mused to himself.

For reasons unknown to him, the Commander was sorely tempted to take her to his room, which was on the same floor, and let her just sleep in his bed. He wasn't going to sleep anyways, and even if he did grab some shuteye, he would most probably just doze off in his armchair. But he knew that she would probably panic and the whole situation would be uncomfortable. So with a deep breath, he walked her up to her floor (trying his hardest not to drop her as he made his way up the stairs) and set her down in her own bed.

Immediately, she curled herself into a tiny ball on top of her sheets, cuddling with her pillow.

His eyes roved over her tiny form as his mind worked rapidly, trying to figure out what kind of a person she really was. Her bangs rested on her forehead, falling softly over her eyes. He noticed that she had incredibly long eyelashes that lay gently on her cheeks in her sleep. Suddenly, the overwhelming need to brush her hair back swept over him.

He found himself reaching out, his hand trembling ever so slightly…

" _Luka…I love…you…"_

Erwin froze. The words that slipped from Taryn's mouth hurt him slightly more than he would admit. What the hell was he doing? He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled loudly, frustrated with himself.

No emotions were allowed in his position. Not to mention, she wouldn't reciprocate any of his feelings in any case. His eyes widened at that thought. _Feelings?_ No…he didn't have feelings for her. He _couldn't_ feel. _He didn't want to feel_.

The Commander shook his head, irritated at his thoughts. Before he could cause any more damage to himself, he made his way out of her room, closing the door behind him.

He needed to distance himself from her- lately, he had been getting too involved with this girl. He had let her break through his personal bubble, both physically and mentally. That wasn't good.

Taryn Yeager spelled trouble for him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** Sorry for the late update! Midterms, writer's block, a lack of sleep and life in general is just crushing me to death right now. But, I managed to grab some quiet time at a nearby Starbucks and write this out. I'm so exhausted, but because you guys are super fabulous, I made sure to write a chapter for you. **Please show me your appreciation and love through reviews ^.^** Thank you to **Nuuk, Dareaderreads** and everyone else who has done so this far. It means a lot to me!

Yes, there is Erwin x Taryn fluff (yay!) but, they're still quite a ways from having romantic feelings for each other. (It's only been 6 chapters after all). Also, this was actually a really long chapter that I had to split in two…so here's the first half of it I guess.

 **Spoilers ahoy!** Since the original anime arc is drawing to an end, we will be venturing into manga territory in the later-on part of this chapter and the rest of this story, meaning- yes, you guessed it- (as River Song says) _SPOILERS._ So prepare yourselves!

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Six: Caught Between a Wall and a Hard Place

 _"_ _I'll stop the whole world, I'll stop the whole world,  
_ _From turning into a monster and eating us alive.  
_ _Don't you ever wonder how we survive?  
_ _Well now that you're gone, the world is ours."_

 _(Monster- Paramore)_

* * *

It was hot. Unbearably hot. Or…maybe she was just very anxious? Taryn swept a bead of sweat that had trickled down the side of her face.

"Nervous?"

Taryn shrugged at the question posed by Hanji. "We're just trying to capture a fifteen meter, intelligent titan- nothing to get excited about I guess," she said dryly. She turned to look at the squad leader and almost recoiled in surprise at the older woman's scary expression. It was a mix between anticipation, obsession, and desire.

Taryn shared a glance with Moblit, Hanji's right-hand man. He looked extremely concerned at Hanji's state as well. She jerked her head sideways, signaling him to follow her. When they had put a bit of distance between themselves and Hanji, Taryn turned to speak to Moblit.

"Are you alright, Moblit? You seem more on edge than Hanji…"

The young man flashed her a tense smile. "The Squad Leader is a little…intense in situations such as these," he responded with a sigh.

"Mmm. I can imagine," Taryn muttered.

"It makes it a lot harder to take care of her when she gets so p-passionate about the titans…"

Other than the fact that the young man was supposed to have Hanji's interest in mind, Taryn could sense a bit of genuine concern in his voice.

"You really care about her, don't you?" she asked curiously. The young man began to blush lightly. He was saved from answering when piercing shrieks began to fly through the air, killing any chance at a conversation.

Hanji began to laugh evilly. "She's coming…Oh, she's coming…"

Taryn grimaced once again, but somehow, she understood the older woman's morbid fascination with the titan. Moblit hurried to her side, making sure that Hanji wouldn't somehow hurt herself. Taryn followed.

The rooftop beneath their feet began to shake as the loud and heavy footsteps of the female titan came closer and closer to them. Taryn really hoped that the trap would work this time. There were no other titans around for Annie to call, except Eren… not that he would help her.

"GET HER!" Hanji roared as the female titan ran by. In a matter of milliseconds, soldiers stationed around the area, hidden behind building rooftops and chimneys, launched the triggers for the barrel-styled canon, effectively trapping the female titan beneath it. Hanji rolled a barbed wire net, complete with sharp spear tips, off the roof, making it land on the titan, trapping her under it for extra-good measure.

"Well she shouldn't be able to move now," the woman crowed cheerfully, gracefully flying down from the rooftop to land next to the titan's face.

"Yeah…that's what we said last time," Taryn muttered under her breath.

She watched as the female titan laid completely still, her pupils constricting in fear as Hanji spoke.

 _Got to get out_ … _wall…_ Taryn heard in her head. It was the softest of whispers, but now, she knew who was speaking. It was Annie's quiet voice. It fit so well.

"Hanji! She's going to-" but before Taryn could get out her warning, the female titan swung out an untethered leg, effectively destroying all of the barbed wire cannons, freeing herself quickly. Hanji leapt away from the commotion, caught in between cursing and squealing.

"Where's the Yeager kid? We need him right now!" Moblit yelled, looking questioningly at Taryn as he tried to keep up with Hanji.

"I don't know where he is!" she yelled back. Taryn felt slightly worried. Eren needed to sneak out of the city. She really hoped that he wouldn't-

ROARRRRRRRRRR!

Taryn sighed at the familiar roar of fury followed by earth-shattering footsteps. A huge figure sped by them in hot pursuit of the female titan. He left a trail of steam in his wake.

"Well shit, Eren…"

* * *

Erwin stood his ground, ignoring the gun Nile Dawk, head of the Military Police, had pointed straight at him. Erwin wouldn't put it past the neurotic man to shoot him.

Levi stood slightly behind him, covered in a dark, black cape, his face as stoic as ever. Inside, he was mentally cursing Nile and his ever-present stupidity.

"Explain what's going on!" Nile shouted, his eyes widened in fear. "How are there titans in the city?"

Suddenly, the carriage next to Levi shuddered as a figure climbed out.

"Eren Yeager, get back into the carriage!" a soldier yelled, grabbing hold of the boy.

"Fuck this shit!" the boy yelled, reaching up to pull off the brown wig he was wearing. Jean had never looked more pissed. "I'm not going to pretend to be Eren fucking Yeager anymore!" All the soldiers around him looked dumbfounded, giving him the chance to escape the man's clutches.

He ran up to the Commander. "Please, sir. Can I have permission to join my comrades in capturing the female?" he asked firmly. Erwin nodded without hesitation.

"Take the extra maneuvering gear from the trunk behind the carriage."

With a firm nod, Jean swung his green cape on and grabbed the gear, pausing to quickly salute his commanding officers before taking off into the skies.

Nile nudged the barrel of the gun in between Erwin's ribs.

"One more time. What's going on, Erwin?" he hissed.

The edges of Erwin's lips twitched, threatening to turn into a full on snarl…but of course, it didn't. The man was too professional for that.

"There are titans in the city, as you can clearly see, Nile, and we intend on catching the bad one."

"And what's to keep me from killing you right on the spot for this obvious conspiracy to make fools of the Military Police?"

Levi couldn't hold back the look of disbelief that clouded his normally neutral features. If his leg wasn't still injured, he knew the perfect place he'd like to put it at the moment- right up Nile's as-

" _Assuming,_ that you're willing to take over my men, run after the female titan, capture her and save the citizens, negotiate with the king while also making sure to be in charge of…" Erwin began. He was not afraid of death…no. He was afraid that humanity would never be free of the titan's clutches.

"W-wait!"

Erwin stopped talking.

Nile looked like he was going to pass out from all the tension. He slowly lowered the gun.

"What do we need to do?"

* * *

The two titans, Eren and the female, ran around the city, destroying everything in their paths. At one point, they had even crushed the building where the Wall-worshippers (people who held the three walls: Sina, Rose, and Maria in high reverence), were praying. Pastor Nick was the one leading this cult.

Unfortunately, the tussle to capture the female titan was resulting in a lot of civilian deaths.

Taryn swooped around the city alongside Armin, Mikasa and Hanji- all of whom were desperately following Eren, trying to keep a track of him. It was clear to see how furious he was. The two soldiers landed on a nearby roof, watching as Eren attacked the female titan viciously.

While the other three kept pursuing the titans, Taryn landed on a nearby roof, surveying the entire situation. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a tall figure landing next to her.

"Jean?" she asked in surprise. He looked pissed off (as usual) and tired.

"What's going on right now?" he asked, quickly trying to glean some sense of the events happening.

"Um- I thought you were supposed to be our decoy?" she asked, ignoring his question. He rolled his eyes.

"Who would want to pretend to be Yeager for any longer than five minutes?" he shuddered.

"Hey!"

Jean shrugged. "Sorry- its' the truth. So tell me what's happening."

Taryn made a sour face before relaying all the information to him. The female titan was running amuck around the city and Eren was hot on her heels. The two were quite evenly matched, each landing a fair amount of blows to the other. They had destroyed a lot of the city and many lives were lost.

As the conversation geared towards death, Taryn watched as Jean's face tightened. She sighed. He still wasn't over Marco's death…it would be silly to assume so. He was just so…human. The thought made her smile affectionately at the tall boy. Out of everyone she knew, Jean, in a weirdly, strange way, represented the best of humanity.

"What do we need to do?" he asked dully.

Taryn thought about it.

"Right now, a lot of the Military Police cadets are running around like a chicken without its head. They have no idea how to deal with any of this. I doubt any of them have ever actually seen a real titan."

Jean nodded in agreement.

"They need a leader, Jean…" she began hesitantly. "Captain Levi is indisposed of, Commander Erwin is doing what he does best (although I'm still not sure what that is), and the Squad Leaders are trying to round up the female titan."

Jean looked out in the distance, carefully listening to her words.

"You're good at judging situations properly. You understand how the scared and the weak feel. I know you'll issue the right orders. I would trust you with my life…" she paused to take a deep breath, "…just like Marco did."

Jean's eyes widened at her words and immediately she could see grief, anger and determination flood his features.

"Marco…" he whispered despondently, remembering his best friend.

Taryn smiled sadly. After taking a few calming breaths, Jean closed his eyes tightly, tuning out all the background screams, the thundering roars and the destruction of buildings to focus on the memory of the freckled boy who had meant a lot to him. Marco would flash Jean his blindingly bright smile, his cheeks lightly dusted with pink that would bring out his freckles even more as he encouraged Jean. Taryn had said almost the exact same thing Marco had told him a while ago.

" _I trust you with my life, Jean._ "

Jean sighed.

"Let me just say one thing, Taryn," he said lowly. Taryn looked at him curiously.

"Your brother better make sure that every death out there is justified. If he fails…" the tall boy opened his eyes and looked down at her, fire burning brightly in his gaze, "…I'll kill him myself."

He sprinted off the roof, following after the other soldiers, leaving Taryn speechless in his wake.

* * *

Taryn wanted to find Erwin so that he could make sense of the mess, that was unfolding presently, for her. But, no. He had told her quite firmly that she was to remain on the tail of the female titan for the entirety of the mission. She wasn't to go and seek him out under any circumstance. His command had confused her. Why did it matter if she sought out to the Commander during the battle?

At the moment, those thoughts didn't matter. It wasn't very hard to try and find the two warring titans. Just like when he was in his human form, Eren made a lot of noise regardless of the situation. But, to her surprise, the roaring sounds were coming from the edge of the city- next to the wall!

It made sense now. Annie's earlier thoughts- she meant to escape by using the wall. But how? Would she smash through it like the Colossal Titan? Or-did she mean to…climb it?

She quickly flew towards the source of the battle and saw many of the soldiers, both Military Police and Recon Corps, gathered on the cobblestone streets, watching the fight with looks of awe and fear. Taryn landed neatly next to Armin. She didn't even need to ask anything.

"Annie's given up on trying to kidnap Eren. The only choice she has right now is to escape…but how?," he mused.

Taryn grasped his shoulder and spun him around to face her.

"Armin. I know how." His blue eyes widened.

"You heard her, didn't you?" he asked. Taryn nodded. Armin, although completely accepting of his two best friends' …strange…abilities, was still wary of them. "Are you sure she wasn't just trying to throw you off?"

She shook her head. "Definitely. She sounded like a trapped animal, Armin…the desperation in her voice was just…I can't even begin to explain it."

Armin nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense. Not only would she fail her mission to capture Eren, but she also risks revealing her identity, putting her in more danger…" He sighed. "How is she planning on escaping?"

Taryn looked towards the wall and pointed at it. The blonde boy furrowed his brow.

"The wall?" he asked in confusion. Sudden realization filled his eyes. "Oh my goodness…she's going to climb it."

Taryn had guessed as much. No sooner had those words left Armin's mouth when the female titan spun around and sprinted towards the wall, leaving Eren behind, half smashed into a building, missing an arm and a leg. His jaw was completely unhinged and half of his face was obliterated. Hanging sinew of muscle and splatters of blood made the whole picture seem even more gruesome.

The female titan sprinted desperately toward the wall and gave a huge leap. Collective gasps and yelps of surprise issued from the crowd of soldiers. In the blink of an eye, while in midair, the titan crystalized the tips of her fingers, creating solid claws that dug deep into the stone of the wall. She hung for two seconds, to see if she was secure enough, before scrambling up the wall at an incredible speed, twisting her body around like a spider.

It was horrifically fascinating to watch.

"She's getting away!" someone yelled loudly.

"Not if I can help it," Mikasa grunted, speeding through the crowd. Within seconds, she had used her 3DMG to speed up the wall. She rested on wall, slightly above the titan who was steadily making her way closer to the top.

Mikasa ruthlessly chopped off the titan's fingers, making sure to hit the area where the skin wasn't protected by the hardened crystal protection. She then lightly tapped the titan's forehead with the tip of her boot. Her grey eyes were completely devoid of all emotion. She said two soft words- words that were so cold, they could have frozen even the sun if given the chance.

"Fall, Annie."

And with that, Annie fell. As the female titan plummeted towards the earth, the look of surprise on her face was astonishing. The titans, although they physically looked like humans, lacked the most essential element of being a human- emotions. Right now, Annie served as a contradiction to that fact. Her face was composed of nothing but emotions- too many to identify. There was pain, fear, sorrow, anger, regret, surprise…even relief.

Taryn clutched her head and knelt down. All of those emotions were radiating through her mind, making it unbearable. She couldn't even hear her own thoughts. Then all of a sudden, everything was white.

 _There was a man. He looked slightly old. Before him stood a young girl. A girl with white-blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Annie._

Taryn heard some faint words coming from the man. It sounded muffled, like he was speaking under water, but she still heard them.

 _"…_ _and I can't ask you to forgive me now…but," he paused to take a shuddering breath, "I just want to ask you…"_

Annie slammed into the ground. Almost immediately, Eren, still in his titan form, climbed on top of her, pinning her to the earth.

 _"_ _Treat the whole world as your enemy. It doesn't matter if they hate you and resent you…Just remember to please…come back to your father- I will always be on your side_ …"

The images of Annie and her father flashed in and out of Taryn's mind like a dream she couldn't catch. Glimpses of their faces shone and then disappeared. She opened her eyes with a gasp.

Had…had she just seen…Annie's _memories_? Taryn couldn't believe it. What was the extent of her connection to the titans?

An earth shattering crash made her jump. Eren had punched Annie's body so hard, her arm had broken off and flew towards a nearby bridge, crashing into it. Soldiers screamed and ran out of the way. All except one.

Taryn's eyes widened when she saw Commander Erwin standing atop the bridge. When did he get here? She had never seen such a cold, vicious expression on his face before. The man did not even flinch when the titan's limb crashed a few centimeters before him. His blue eyes were a swirling inferno of rage.

 _ROARRRR_

She turned to see Eren bend down and viciously tear the female titan's head off, revealing the small, blonde girl that controlled her. In her human form, Annie's eyes were closed, tears streaming down her cheeks and muscles strands that attached her to her titan form. To her surprise, Taryn watched as her brother hesitated.

"Eren!" she yelled. He grunted, shaking his head and opening his maw wide enough to swallow Annie whole.

 _BAM!_

There was a bright flash of light, temporarily blinding many of the surrounding soldiers. Taryn shielded her eyes from the glare. A few seconds later, she lowered her arm to see Annie encased in a shield of hardened crystal. But the crystallization didn't stop there. It began to fuse Eren's titan form to the female's.

"No, no, no, no, no…" she heard Armin muttering to himself as they registered what had happened.

She shifted her eyes from Annie's motionless figure to Eren. His titan form looked ready to collapse any minute. Eren was roaring loudly, a mix of fear and pain evident in his voice.

"We need to get Eren out!" she yelled, running towards the large titan. Armin was frozen to the spot. Mikasa screamed Eren's name, trying to run down from the wall as quickly as she could, but someone already beat her to the large titan.

Levi came out of nowhere, his 3DMG blades moving so quickly that you couldn't see them- it just looked like a flash of hot-white light.

He quickly sliced Eren out of the titan's form and heaved him in his arms.

"Tch…don't eat our only witness, you dumbfuck…" he grunted.

The short captain maneuvered the two of them to the safety of the ground as the two titan bodies behind him began to evaporate, leaving behind only Annie in her protective casing. Mikasa and Armin quickly ran up to Eren's body, which was now resting on the cobblestone street.

His face was covered with angry red marks formed in the pattern of the way the titan's muscles had been attached to him. Mikasa stroked his hair back as she bent down, pressing her ear against his chest.

 _Ba -bum…ba –bum…ba-bum…_

His heartbeat was loud and clear- as strong as ever. Mikasa heaved a sigh of relief, continuing to stroke the boy's hair.

Taryn was standing a few feet away. She was torn between running to her brother or following the Commander. She swiveled her head between the two, unsure of what to do. The Commander was standing amidst a crowd of Military Police members, his hands firmly shackled in a pair of cuffs. Eren was with people who cared about him and apparently he was fine, if Mikasa's expression was an indication of his wellbeing.

"Erwin Smith. You are to be taken in for questioning," Nile Dawk commanded in an oily voice. It made Taryn shudder with disgust.

Erwin ignored the man and surveyed the damage in front of him. Then, his eyes locked directly on Taryn's. She froze in place, unable to move under that intense gaze.

 _Fuck! Why does he always do this to me_? she questioned herself weakly.

She watched as Levi walked past the Commander, muttering something in irritation. Erwin answered, his eyes never leaving hers.

 _Should I follow him? When's the next time I'll see him?_

Her eyes looked at him pleadingly, asking him for instructions. Her brother was safe, Annie was captured (somewhat), yet there still was a lot left to do.

Suddenly, something stirred in her mind. "Wha-?" Taryn clutched her head, her heart sinking into her stomach. There was only one thing that made her feel like this- titans. But there weren't any other titans here right?

Erwin seemed to notice the sudden change in the Yeager girl, making him furrow his eyebrows. He had seen her eyes begging him to let her join him- for reasons he didn't know. He was very tempted to let her tag along to the questioning, if only to provide another perspective for the officials…but he knew he couldn't do that.

What was running through her mind wasn't an emotion…instead it was a conglomeration of ancient memories of some sort. There was a lot of screams and roaring…flashes of bright lights. Yet at the same time, there was a lazy sort of peace that held all these memories together- almost as if this creature who's memories she was seeing was in a state of dormancy.

She spun around, looking for the source of these feelings and images. They were in the center of the all of the walls, so where the hell could any titans come from? Was there another titan-shifter around? A flash of movement caught the corner of her eye.

A bit of stone, from the wall that Annie had been trying to climb, crumbled and fell to the ground. Taryn's breath caught in her throat.

 _Holy shit_.

A giant face peered through the hole in the wall. A giant, titan face. It was skinless and lacked lips. Its eyes were open yet they didn't seem to register anything. At least not yet.

"H-Hanji," she called out, her voice wavering.

Neither noticed the Commander's hard gaze, studying that horrid, colossal face. "Let's go, Erwin," one of the soldiers said, leading the man away. Erwin gave the scene before him one last look before he allowed himself to be pushed into the carriage waiting for him.

Hanji jogged over to the girl's side, followed closely by Moblit.

"What is it Taryn?"

"The wall…" she choked out, unable to tear her eyes away from the horrific discovery in front of her. Hanji frowned and followed the girl's gaze.

"Is that-?" she gasped, but stopped. For once in her life, Hanji had been struck speechless.

 _Oh my goodness… a t-titan inside a wall?_ Taryn thought frantically.

"Hanji…is the entire wall filled with t-them?"

Hanji couldn't answer. Her mind was moving rapidly. A large hand clamped down on her shoulder, making the three soldiers jump.

"Don't…let…daylight…shine on that…titan…" he gasped, struggling to catch his breath.

"Pastor Nick?" Hanji exclaimed. It was indeed. The pastor stood there, doubled over. His face was filled with anxiety and fatigue.

"Cover it with…something…anything!" he yelled. There was no time to question his words.

Hanji's face hardened as she thought about what to do. Erwin had been led away by the Military Police for questioning and Levi was gone, so as of now, she was in charge.

"Taryn, with me. Keep an eye on Pastor Nick right now," she barked. Taryn nodded and ran over to the older man, using a piece of frayed wire from a stray 3DMG to tie his hands together.

"Mikasa, Armin, follow the Military Police back to the castle to take care of Eren. Make sure he gets some rest and eats something." The two younger soldiers grunted in agreement and went to gingerly lift their friend. Taryn longed to hold Eren in her arms and comfort him, but this wasn't the time.

As they walked past her, they gave her reassuring smiles.

"We'll take good care of him, Taryn," Armin said. Mikasa nodded. Someone ruffled Taryn's hair lightly. She looked up to see Jean standing by her.

"He did an okay job," he said solemnly, retracting his hand from her head. Taryn gave him a small grin, glad that Jean didn't feel the need to fulfill his promise of killing her brother.

"I'm proud of you, Jean," she said lightly. The boy looked slightly taken aback for a moment before a light blush scattered across his cheeks. He mumbled a quick "thanks" following the other two, making sure that they didn't collapse under the dead weight of their friend.

"What about the Commander?" Taryn asked Hanji. The woman shook her head.

"Knowing Erwin, he's probably already aware of what's going on. He's a smart man- he'll think of something. He should have made a plan by now."

Taryn couldn't wrap her head around how smart Erwin was. Damn.

"What are we going to do about the hole?" Moblit asked. Taryn admired the man. For all the chaos that was happening, he remained quite calm- most probably for Hanji's sake than anything else.

"We need to cover it quickly."

Taryn thought about Hanji's words. Cover it…but with what? She looked around the area, desperately searching for inspiration. Her eyes landed on something and she hastily pieced together an idea.

"Hanji, I think I have an idea."

* * *

"Pull a little harder, Taryn!" Hanji groaned, sweat streaming down her face. Strands of her brown hair were plastered to her forehead in a haphazard manner.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Taryn panted as she tugged the rope and hastily secured it in a tight knot. After making sure that it would not slip, she collapsed on the smooth stone surface on top of the wall, wearily wiping away the sweat that glistened on her face as well.

Hanji finished securing her knot as well and wandered over to the young soldier. She patted Taryn enthusiastically on the head (why did everyone like patting her head?).

"Good thinking, Taryn!"

Taryn beamed. It was her idea to grab numerous cloth awnings from a few of the stores within the city and rope them together to create a large covering. It was big enough to temporarily protect the hole from any sunlight that could hit it. As soon as they finished setting the covering up, Hanji had gotten a team of soldiers to work on a more permanent solution. But the cloth would work for the time being.

"Now," Hanji turned around to stare at Pastor Nick who was seated a few feet away from them. He had remained silent the entire time, watching everything with glazed over eyes. Taryn didn't like the man. He was one of those kooks who led people to worship the walls…

Hanji's gaze lost all of its normal sparkle and excitement as she studied the old man.

"Well, Pastor Nick," she began, making her lips pop at the "p" in his name. He jumped slightly as she strolled towards him. Taryn couldn't blame him. Hanji looked terrifying at the moment. It was a wonder how the woman could switch from a goofy, excitable persona to someone so deadly within a few seconds. Levi would be proud.

"It seems as if you know something about the titans in this wall. I'd like you to answer some questions."

Pastor Nick, though pale, sneered at her. "I refuse. It's because of you deviants that my church and followers are in chaos." A shadow fell over Hanji's features. Taryn felt goose bumps crawl up her arms. Pastor Nick didn't notice the change in the squad leader's expression. "Now, woman. Let me off this wall!" he commanded imperiously.

Moblit, standing by Taryn, gulped. "Oh no…" he muttered. Taryn looked at him questioningly, but he didn't have to answer.

"You want off?" Hanji asked in a low voice. She gripped the front of his garment and quickly spun him around so that he was standing on the edge of the wall. "I can help you with that. Would you like to get off from here?" she grinned darkly.

"ARGH!" the pastor yelped as he hung over the edge. Taryn felt Moblit move next to her.

"Squad Leader!" he exclaimed, holding a hand out. Was Moblit's sole purpose in life to be Hanji's conscience? Taryn felt bad for the guy.

"Stay back," she commanded, not looking away from the old man.

"What do you think you're doing?" Pastor Nick growled.

"Me? What do you think you're doing?" she answered venomously. The man remained silent. "The Recon Corps has been giving up their lives for years trying to find out more about the titans. Meanwhile, you've been here with more than enough knowledge, yet keeping silent? Do you know how many have died for humanity?"

"Let go of me!" he yelled.

"You're not going to give me any information? You prefer death over helping humanity?" Hanji asked, her voice coloured with disbelief.

"We will carry out our mission until the end," was his reply. Taryn had to admire the man's stubbornness even in the face of death. "Now. Let. Go. Of. Me."

Hanji clucked her tongue, feigning disappointment.

"With pleasure." In the span of a heartbeat, she let go of the man's garments, watching him fall over the edge. His cries could be heard as he hurtled towards the ground more than fifty metres below them.

"HANJI!" Moblit exclaimed once again, running forward to his leader's side. Hanji didn't even bat an eye.

"Please retrieve him, Taryn," she asked calmly. Taryn nodded, understanding the woman's thought process.

With a large head start, Taryn sprinted off the wall's edge and leapt downwards, ignoring the shouts of surprise from the other soldiers. She could see the black figure of Pastor Nick not far below her. He was still yelling.

When she was close enough to him, she wrapped one hand around the man's wrist and used the other hand to deploy her 3DMG cables. They pierced the wall's surface, immediately saving her from hitting the ground. But, the force from the sudden impact of clinging to the wall caused her to snap upwards and she heard a satisfying crack from the wrist she was holding, followed by a pained scream.

"Serves you right," she muttered, using all her strength to maneuver them both up the walls. As she reached the top, she set the man down on the wall top and took a look at him. He was as white as sheet. Snot and tears flowed freely from his facial orifices. She wrinkled her nose as the strong scent of urine emanated from him.

Hanji caught the odour as well and smirked.

"Eh? I thought you weren't scared of dying, Pastor?"

The man ignored them, a broken sob escaping his lips as he cradled his now broken wrist against his chest.

Moblit sighed tiredly. "She's going to give me a heart attack one day," he groaned to Taryn. The girl giggled slightly. He turned to look at her curiously. "You knew she didn't mean to kill him?"

Taryn shook her head. "I just guessed. Pastor Nick is a valuable witness- we can't afford to lose him…not yet at least. I think she just wanted to scare the crap out of him…literally in this case."

Moblit nodded understandingly. Hanji walked over to him and clapped him on the back, a bright smile lighting up her face.

"You knew I was kidding, right, Moblit?" she laughed. Moblit looked at her in annoyance.

"Please warn me ahead of time the next time you decide on pulling a stunt like this, Hanji," he grumbled. Hanji waved him off.

"Sure, sure."

A shout sounded from behind them.

"Squad Leader Hanji! Commander Erwin has asked for your prescence at his questioning right now. Please come at once!"

Hanji didn't even hesitate. She called over some soldiers from the Military Police.

"I have to leave now. Please take this goon to the castle and make sure he's under strict observation. Let Captain Levi know about the Pastor. He'll take good care of him," she said, saying the last sentence with a sick sort of pleasure.

She began to adjust her 3DMG, wondering why Erwin would need her, when Taryn broke through her thoughts.

"Hanji?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I please come with you?" she asked, her face filled with determination. Hanji paused for a moment. It would be good to keep the girl close to them, after all, with her titan powers, she was just as valuable as Eren. Also, if need be, she could answer some of the questions from the Military Police on behalf of Erwin. Finally, given the resolve that shone clearly on the young girl's face, she highly doubted Taryn would take no for an answer. Those Yeagers had a nasty habit of disobeying the rules in any case.

"Of course," she said with a grin. Taryn shot her a grateful look.

"Moblit, you have to come too," she said as an afterthought.

Moblit actually sent his friend a smouldering smile and shook his head, chuckling slightly. "When have I ever left your side, Hanji?"

Hanji blushed.

* * *

Hanji, Moblit and Taryn stood firmly behind Commander Erwin who was seated at a long, wooden table. At the head of this table was the District Chief- a portly man who reminded Taryn of a very sweaty pig with a mustache.

The District Chief had been questioning Erwin for the past thirty minutes about how the capture of Annie had not been in vain given that they couldn't even extract any information from her. As the chief rambled on, Taryn found herself losing interest in the conversation. She began to think about what it was like when she first walked into this room.

Military Police soldiers were lined up around all the walls, their weapons at the ready. As if they really needed to go that far…

When she had walked in behind Moblit and Hanji, Erwin had immediately caught sight of her. She knew he was surprised, but he didn't show it. He managed to school his expression into something neutral and serious as usual.

All throughout the questioning, Taryn found her gaze constantly flickering towards the Commander. She found herself admiring the way he carried himself, even under the stress of their situation. He sat tall with perfect posture (something she had never mastered- her mother would always smack her on the back if she caught Taryn slouching), giving all of his attention to the District Chief. He answered truthfully and persuasively.

But, if one knew well enough to look past his superficial façade, you could see the way the corner of his eyes crinkled ever so slightly when he was annoyed. Or the way he would subtly clench his fist under the table when one of the other officials went off on a crazy rant. Taryn could also see the dark circles under his eyes and the slight droop of his neck. The Commander was exhausted- she felt tired just looking at him. But as he said… _no rest for the wicked_.

Just as Taryn was about to doze off while standing (she began to lean dangerously against Moblit who was furiously trying his best to keep her standing while not making too much noise), the doors of the meeting room slammed open, making everyone jump in their seats.

A soldier from the Survey Corps burst into the room, panting heavily.

"Touma?" Hanji asked curiously.

"Commander Erwin!" he gasped. Erwin shifted his cold eyes towards the soldier, acknowledging him.

"Sir, bad news! Wall Rose has been breached!"

Every soldier and official in room gasped unanimously (besides Erwin, of course). Taryn shook her head in disbelief. How could they have breached Wall Rose? As she thought about this, she noticed the soldier, Major Touma, bending down and whispering something to the Commander. Whatever the soldier said, it was clearly not good. For just a moment, hardly a millisecond, Taryn could see pain pierce through that icy pretense. But he covered it up just as quickly.

Immediately, Erwin looked at Hanji.

"Take Taryn, Eren, Levi and the rest. You know where to go." Hanji nodded.

Taryn panicked. She didn't know why, but she did not want to leave the Commander alone. It was an irrational feeling because goodness knows the Commander was more than capable enough of taking care of himself. Yet…she couldn't bring herself to leave.

Gritting her teeth and preparing herself for rejection, Taryn took a deep breath before speaking.

"Commander, can I please stay with you?" she asked hastily. Moblit gave her a look of confusion. Taryn noticed how Hanji and Erwin shared a glance. It was very quick, but she could sense that there was a lot of meaning behind the look. Erwin raised a thick eyebrow questioningly.

"Why should I let you stay with me, Ms. Yeager? Don't you want to be by your brother's side?"

Taryn felt a small stab of guilt go through her at those words. It was true; she did want to be with Eren- he was the most important person she had left after all, yet something else told her that the Commander needed her. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking.

"I can be of use sir! You can't be completely cut off from the Survey Corps." Erwin didn't look fully convinced. Taryn noticed this and took a last shot.

"Also, since I can communicate with titans and hear their thoughts, I can keep tabs on Eren through this power. That way, I can keep you connected and aware of what's going on with the rest of the Survey Corps." At these words, Erwin's gaze hardened.

"Is this true, Hanji?" he asked. Taryn gulped, wondering how far she could get away with the lie. Well…it wasn't fully a lie, was it? She could hear their thoughts…she just didn't know how far her abilities extended. Hanji cocked her head to the side, looking at Taryn curiously.

"It's very possible, sir. Especially since they're siblings, the connection between them would potentially be stronger!" The scientist's eyes were now filled with excitement at the untold possibilities between Taryn and Eren.

Erwin sighed. "Fine. Ms. Yeager, you stay with me. Moblit-" The young man snapped to attention at the sound of his name. "-keep Hanji in check, please. It would not bode well to lose her, even as much as Levi keeps threatening to off her himself." Moblit cracked a grin. Hanji looked slightly insulted. She shook it off in pure Hanji style though.

"Let's go, Moblit!" she chirped, grabbing the man's arm and practically dragging him out of the room. Moblit went to follow her, but paused to give Taryn a comforting pat on the shoulder before hurrying after the eccentric woman.

Once the two soldiers had left, Erwin turned to Taryn.

"Let's go and talk to your brother before he leaves," he said shortly. Taryn nodded and followed him out of the room, relieved that he hadn't rejected her.

* * *

Commander Erwin stood at the doorway of Eren's room. He watched as Taryn gently lowered herself next to the young boy, wrapping him tightly in her arms and telling him what had happened. The boy's face had turned a bright red as Taryn embraced him. He must have been embarrassed that she was being so affectionate in front of his friends- especially Jean who was laughing quietly in a corner. But, to his credit, Eren seemed to understand how much Taryn needed that physical affection, so he didn't struggle. Instead, he even returned it, giving her a shy kiss on the cheek as they broke apart. Erwin felt that ever-familiar frown creep onto his lips.

She had so much love to give. This girl, who had lost everything, was still able to love. Why was that such a hard concept for him to understand? Erwin thought about the look he had shared with Hanji in the meeting room. Hanji understood him.

 _(One week earlier)_

 _Erwin walked back to his office, dragging his feet heavily. Hearing those words from Taryn's mouth impacted him more than he'd care to admit. She still cared about Luka. Of course she did. Only a…a…monster would get over the death of a loved one in less than a week. Maybe that explained his behaviour? Was he more of a monster than the actual titans out there?_

 _Not enjoying this line of thought, he collapsed into his armchair, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead wearily. The door to his office creaked open and a sneaky Hanji crept inside._

 _"_ _What is it, Hanji?" he asked without opening his eyes. Hanji pouted._

 _"_ _How did you know it was me?"_

 _"_ _You were giggling under your breath."_

 _"_ _Oh. I should work on that…"_

 _Erwin didn't reply._

 _"_ _Why so grumpy?" she asked, walking towards him and seating herself on the arm of his chair._

 _He sighed and finally opened his eyes to look at the woman. "No reason." Erwin didn't like lying, but at the moment, it seemed a lot easier than trying to analyze the vortex of feelings destroying his brain and heart._

 _"_ _You're a terrible liar."_

 _"…"_

 _"_ _Yes, Erwin. I think I know what…or_ who's _on your mind right now."_

 _He cocked an eyebrow, curious to see if she was right._

 _"_ _Okay, tell me then," he said. Hanji grinned brightly and leapt off the chair, dancing her way over to his desk and sitting there. Erwin huffed at her fidgetiness. "Please explain by today, Hanji…"_

 _She snorted. "Patience is a virtue, Erwin." The Commander just rolled his eyes. "Anyways…I think you're bothered by our Yeager child, yes?"_

 _"_ _Which one?"_

 _"…"_

 _"_ _There are two of them, Hanji."_

 _"_ _I'm aware…I just never entertained the possibility that it might be Eren…" She squinted at him suspiciously. "Is it Eren?"_

 _Erwin glared at her. "No, Hanji. No matter how much you want to believe it, I am not interested in men."_

 _Once again, Hanji pouted. "Don't dismiss it until you try it!" she crowed._

 _"_ _Hanji…you were supposed to be helping me. Not trying to influence my sexuality."_

 _"_ _Oh, right."_

 _He just stared at her, waiting for her to begin._

 _"_ _Right. So, you're obviously interested in Taryn Yeager a little more than you should be. Do you like her?"_

 _Erwin thought about that._

 _"_ _She's a good person."_

 _Hanji looked exasperated. "That's not what I asked, Erwin!"_

 _"_ _I suppose I enjoy her company," he admitted slowly. Hanji's smile grew wider._

 _"_ _Why is that?"_

 _Erwin knew immediately why…he just wasn't sure how to express it._

 _"_ _She's warm...and expressive."_

 _"_ _You are too, you know?"_

 _Now it was Erwin's turn to snort._

 _"_ _Seriously, Hanji? You've known me for…how many years now? When was the last time I actually cared about a soldier who died?"_

 _Hanji looked at him sadly. "Don't say that…you do care. You just can't afford to show that or let it get to you, and no one's blaming you for that."_

 _"_ _She did."_

 _He wouldn't forget Taryn's accusation of him when he refused to let her retrieve Luka's body._

"Are you even human, sir?" _and_ "You're a fucking heartless bastard!"

 _He winced at the memory of the harsh words._

 _"_ _Erwin…she was just angry…it's normal. Plus, she apologized."_

 _He shook his head. "She did and that's fine. I understand. But, Hanji…I can't start caring for her now. That's just wrong…I need to keep myself away from her."_

 _"_ _Why is it so wrong? What's wrong with having feelings for someone?"_

 _Erwin stood up and crossed his arms over his chest._

 _"_ _There's no time to have feelings for someone. We're in the middle of a very gruesome battle. What will happen if I die? I don't want to leave the person I care about alone."_

 _Hanji sighed woefully as Erwin continued._

 _"_ _Hanji, you know I gave away any chance of loving someone and settling down with them the day I accepted the position to be Commander. I can never devote myself fully to someone…to a family."_

 _"_ _That's not how it works, Erwin." She got off of his desk and made her way to his door. Before leaving, she stopped to rest her hand on his shoulder._

 _"_ _Life is short for all of us…when you die, you aren't going to think about the number of titans you killed. You're not going to want to have your 3DMG with you. You're not going to think about the number of missions you've been on. You're going to think about the people you were with. You'll remember the times you laughed with your friends or the times you were proud of your recruits. Most importantly, you'll remember the people you loved. That's what's important. As important as saving humanity is, don't feel bad for thinking about your own needs for a while. Don't feel bad about being selfish for once in your life, Erwin…"_

 _With those last words, she left the Commander alone to his own thoughts._

* * *

"Sir?"

Erwin blinked a few times, bringing himself back to the present. The subject of his thoughts was standing in front of him, those large brown eyes watching him in concern.

"Ms. Yeager?"

"I'm ready to go, sir. I've explained everything to Eren. He said he'll be sure to try and stay as connected to me as he can."

The Commander nodded. He quickly bid the young soldiers farewell before leaving the room, Taryn following him like a shadow. That was what the look he had shared with Hanji had been about. As much as he wanted to keep away from Taryn, he knew Hanji wouldn't allow it.

So much for distancing himself from her…

* * *

"Where are we going, sir?" Taryn asked as she walked lightly behind the Commander. After the visit with Eren, Erwin had wasted no time in making his way to the center of the large castle.

"We're going to meet with some government officials to tell them about the news of Wall Rose."

Taryn nodded in understanding. They continued to walk in silence. The castle was a lot bigger than Taryn had assumed. Her mind wandered back to the meeting room. She wanted to know what news was so bad that the Commander would let his strong front slip, even if for a second.

So she decided to ask him.

"Sir?"

The Commander didn't answer. She noticed how he looked more stiff than usual in his way of walking. His expression was set as something fierce. Yet…there was a…a sadness surrounding him.

"Sir," she called again, this time accompanying it with a light tug to his sleeve.

"Hmm?" The Commander snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at Taryn in surprise, as if he had forgotten she was with him. "I'm sorry, did you say something Miss Yeager?"

"No sir, I just wanted to ask you something." Erwin nodded, encouraging her to continue. She took a deep breath.

"I understand it's not my place to pry, but, I saw that Major Touma told you something…and it didn't look like good news."

He didn't answer, instead looking straight down the corridor they were walking. She noticed that his hands were clenched into tight fists. She knew she shouldn't probably push it, but Taryn wanted him to talk, to get stuff off his chest. Carrying a heavy burden alone was enough to break even the strongest of men eventually- even the seemingly immortal Commander Erwin Smith.

Erwin exhaled heavily. All of a sudden, he looked much, much older than his thirty-two years. It was obvious to see that the man got little to no sleep. Taryn was sure that he wasn't eating properly either.

"No. It wasn't good news," he finally responded quietly.

Taryn didn't say anything, hoping that he'd speak of his own accord. He did.

"A fellow comrade of mine, Squad Leader Mike Zacharius, was killed by titans two days ago."

Taryn was speechless. She knew who Mike was. He was on the Survey Corps and served as Erwin's right hand man. According to Petra, Mike was Erwin's best friend. She rarely saw the man, but she knew that he was highly respected. He apparently had an incredible sense of smell- Eren had told her about how Mike had sniffed him the first time they had met.

At this point, Taryn had dealt with the loss of her lover, her parents and numerous friends. She couldn't say she was used to it, but she had gotten used to learning how to cope with loss. Commander Erwin had dealt with the loss of hundreds of his men. But Taryn was certain that this was probably the one of the first deaths that really hit close to home for the Commander.

Apparently her body was moving faster than her mind. She reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him to a stop in the middle of the hallway.

He glanced at her hand, as if questioning why it was clinging onto him.

"Um…I…uh…" _Wow, great going, genius. What was the point of this?_ she scolded herself.

But, the Commander didn't try to throw her hand off.

"Yes?"

She looked him straight in the eye and took a deep breath.

"I-I'm sorry about your loss, sir. I know that he was more than just a fellow comrade to you."

Erwin paused before replying carefully. "Thank you, Miss Yeager. I appreciate your concern." He gently removed her hand from his. "But, we must get going. There are many things to get done."

Taryn wasn't finished yet. She knew she would really be pushing it at this point.

"Wait, sir!" she exclaimed, grabbing onto his hand once again. This time, she noticed how cold it was against her own hand. She shivered slightly.

Erwin looked quite confused and slightly frustrated at this point. He was not one to dawdle. But, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed the warmth of her small hand.

"Yes, Miss Yeager?" he asked in a defeated voice.

"It's alright to show that you feel something sir…you have every right to feel pain. He was your friend…"

His expression hardened.

"He was my friend, indeed. But there isn't any time to-"

"N-no, please stop," she interrupted. He raised an eyebrow at her brazenness. Taryn knew the fine line she was treading right now, but she also knew that she had his attention, and she wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste. "Sir, there is always time to remember a friend. Don't give more time to the titans than you do to someone who actually meant something to you."

Those words were like a slap to his face. She continued, ignoring the astonished look that had unconsciously coloured his features.

"As much as you try to not show it, _you are human_. You do feel pain. I saw it earlier when Major Touma told you the news."

He felt her hand squeeze his. It was a comforting pressure.

"It's okay to stop for a moment to think about him," she said softly. "No one will think less of you for it. I definitely won't…"

Then, since she was the affectionate person that she was, Taryn reached out and hugged the Commander. Although she was terrified of the possible consequences for imposing on his personal space _once again_ , she didn't pull back. Even if he didn't say it, she knew that at some point, every person longed for some kind of comforting human contact.

The Commander stood there stiffly, staring down at the small girl currently hugging him. She was so warm. The warmth from her body crept through his uniform, spreading onto his chest and abdomen. It was such a comforting warmth that made him want to just stop time for a second. It made him want to just sit down and forget about the titans that threatened them. It made him want to forget the fact that he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds. It made him want to remember all the good times he had with Mike. But most of all, it made him want to just sit down and hold Taryn Yeager for a very, very long time...

He hesitantly brought a hand to rest on her back, accepting the gesture of comfort she had offered him. At this light touch, he felt her tighten her grip on him, pressing her face flush against his chest. He could feel her warm breath trickle through the thin cloth of his shirt. He wondered if she could hear his heart.

She could…and she loved it. It was a strong heartbeat. Steady. Strong. Determined. It was representative of the man himself.

At that moment, for once in his life, he took Hanji's advice and gave into his own desires. He wrapped his arm more securely around the girl, pulling her even closer against him and he pressed his face against the crown of her head, closing his eyes. Her black curls tickled his nose, but he didn't mind. Her scent was calming.

He let the memories of Mike flood through him and for the first time in a long time, he felt the excruciating, black sensation of loss pierce him. He took a deep, painful breath that made the back of his throat burn and his eyes sting. But no. He wouldn't lose his composure…not today.

And that was okay.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** Thank you to **Nuuk, Nevvy and dareaderreads** for the reviews! Thank you to everyone who has also favourited and followed- I really appreciate you all!

So, this chapter is a lot shorter than usual, mainly because I thought that the ending was a really good place to cut it off. But, because it's a shorter chapter, I made sure to make up for it by writing another chapter! Yay, two updates! I hope you enjoy them!

 **PLEASE READ: Also,** ** _major spoiler_** **from the manga in this chapter (specifically revealing the identity of the Colossal and Armored Titans). You've been warned.**

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Seven: His Loss

 _"_ _Take the pills that they give you mornings,  
_ _Spit them out when they aren't looking.  
_ _Keep a smile but you burn it hot,  
_ _It's a mad, mad world."_

 _(Hotblack- Oceanship)_

* * *

They stood together like that, holding each other tightly as if each served as a lifeline for the other. Neither was sure how much time had passed…but it didn't really matter. Erwin felt quite peaceful- that is until Taryn shifted slightly in his grasp, causing something sharp and hard to poke his stomach.

Now, Erwin was a very logical man, but at the moment, there were only so many things that he could think of that were 'hard' and would 'poke' people while in intimate situations. Of course, his assumptions wouldn't make sense since Taryn was a female…or, was she? Erwin shook his head, dismissing the ridiculous (hopefully) thoughts and pulled away from her, breaking their embrace.

He looked down and noted (with relief that he would never admit to) that there was nothing poking out from crotch. Looking for what had been stabbing his abdomen, his eyes roamed the length of her body, obliviously missing the blush spreading across her cheeks at his unintentionally suggestive actions. Finally, he noticed the faint outline of an object in her jacket pocket. He cleared his throat.

"What's in your pocket, Ms. Yeager?" he asked curiously. She looked confused for a moment and peered down at her jacket, patting down the pocket before realization crept over her features.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, reaching into the pocket and pulling the object out. Erwin immediately recognized it. "It's a strategy book I borrowed from the military library the day the Colossal Titan showed up and broke through Wall Maria…" She flipped it over in her hand, staring at with a sense of amazement. "I've guess I just never let go of it…maybe it's what's kept me safe so far," she pondered.

Erwin's felt warmed by that idea. Another question popped into his mind.

"Why were you reading a strategy book? The only people I've seen interested in strategy are myself and your friend, Mr. Arlert."

Taryn reddened. "Well, I mean, it always helps to have an idea of how to strategize. Plus, it was either this or poetry books…and I'm not a huge fan of poems."

Erwin chuckled.

"But it's been pretty helpful!" she said defensively. "The most interesting part is the notes that someone wrote in here. A lot of the strategies they wrote out are super similar to the ones we use in the Survey Corps!" she exclaimed, flipping through the pages to show the Commander.

Erwin felt a wave of nostalgia settle over him as he looked at his own handwriting from more than a decade ago. So many years back…

Taryn continued to study the pages. "I wonder…if he maybe wants it back. I know it was just lying around in the library and collecting dust, but given the past events… I think it would help him a lot," she said softly, pondering more to herself than to the Commander.

"Do you know whom it belongs to?" he asked, carefully watching her reaction.

She shook her head. "It just says _property of E.S_ -…" she paused for a moment and then snorted. "Nah…can't be…" she chuckled under her breath. Then she sighed heavily. "Yeah… he'll probably need it back…"

"Perhaps…or maybe the owner of the book might want you to keep it. If it seems to be your good luck charm in this battle, then I'm sure he would be pleased that it's keeping you safe," he advised innocently.

Taryn's brown eyes roved over him, studying Erwin carefully. A small grin crept onto her mouth. "He sounds like a good person," she said, tucking the small book back into her pocket for safekeeping.

A faint smile crossed Erwin's lips.

"Commander!" a sharp yell broke through the corridor. Taryn watched as the Commander immediately assumed his serious, detached demeanor. It was slightly disappointing to see him close up again so quickly, but…all in good time, she supposed. Baby steps.

A scrawny youth ran up to the pair, saluting them hastily.

"At ease, cadet," Erwin commanded. The youth lowered his arms and launched into a rapid speech.

Commander, sir! The officials have heard of the breach in Wall Rose and wish to speak with you, post-haste! They're waiting for you in the Royal Hall."

"Please lead us there, cadet," he said firmly. The young boy nodded and spun around, walking quickly across the marbled floors. As the two followed him, Taryn could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Hopefully everything would work out well.

* * *

Taryn felt like she was going to pass out. She and the Commander had been standing in the room with government officials, disputing the same things over and over again. They would launch into something that had to do with blaming the Commander for the entire situation of titans…blah…blah…blah. Then Erwin would calmly explain his plan and how things would work out over and over again. Only for the officials to go in circles and start blaming him again.

They had been going at it for more than four hours at this point. Taryn looked outside the window and saw that night had fallen. She let out a loud yawn and immediately turned red, slapping her hand over her mouth. She looked up from the couch see was seated in (right in the corner of the room, away from everyone's attention) to see the Commander standing calmly amidst the officials. He hadn't lost his temper yet, but he did look slightly disheveled and his eyes reflected frustration.

 _When will this end_ , she thought to herself, bringing her gaze back out to the night sky.

There didn't seem to be as many stars as there were when- _when Luka was alive_. A wave of sadness overtook her as she thought about Luka. They had spent a few nights together, situated under these very stars…except…was it these same stars? The stars they had kissed under just seemed so much…brighter.

She let out a sad sigh and rested her chin on the arm of the chair. Taryn let her eyes shut for a few seconds, letting her memories drift to the boy's bright smile…his cheerful hazel eyes…his sweet breath and adorably chapped lips…

 _Luka…_

* * *

Commander Erwin was at his wit's end, even if he didn't show it. These fools weren't listening to him. He needed them to send some Military Police out to help the Garrison and Survey Corps investigate the breach in Wall Rose- except these people kept denying the breach and saying that they couldn't spare their own soldiers…

If he had the ability to, Erwin would have left a long time ago and taken his own soldiers to solve the issue, but unfortunately, the Survey Corps had lost too many soldiers and there just weren't enough to get the job done.

The officials paused after almost eight hours of useless arguing to take a break for a few minutes and discuss matters amongst themselves. Erwin rubbed his head, which was starting to ache, and let out a frustrated groan. He looked out a nearby window to see that the sky was slightly brighter, signifying the start of a new morning. The moon was still out, as were a few stars, but the inky black canvas of the night had slowly melted into a navy blue. He shook his head, trying to remember the last time he had gotten more than two hours of sleep. He wondered how Taryn managed to stay awake through all of this while remaining silent as a mouse…Suddenly, he realized that Taryn wasn't standing next to him.

Erwin swiveled his head, his eyes darting around the Royal Hall searching for her. Finally, he spotted her in a faraway corner, curled up and fast asleep on a small couch. She looked exhausted. The Commander debated on whether or not to wake her up. He wasn't sure how much longer it would take to convince these men that titans were a threat and that they needed to dispense as many –

"AHHHHH!"

Everyone in the Royal Hall jumped, startled at the piercing yell that echoed through the room. Taryn had shot straight up from her sleep, a look of horror on her face. Erwin immediately rushed towards her side.

"Taryn, what happened?" he asked her. He noticed that a light layer of sweat covered her face and neck. Her chest heaved with each heavy breath she took. Brown eyes darted about wildly, as if she wasn't certain what was reality and what was a dream.

Whispers were spread between the government officials, spite hidden within each word.

"Ti-titans," she gasped finally. "E-Eren!"

He knelt down in front of her and held her hand in his. It concerned him how tightly she gripped his hand.

"Tell me what happened," he said in a calm but firm voice.

She nodded shakily.

"They were at a…a castle," she began. He nodded. She was referring to Castle Utgard, the abandoned castle right next to Wall Rose. "There were titans…attacking. But, there was this o-one titan…" she gasped. Her hand tightened around his.

"What about it?"

"It looked…l-like a…it didn't look like a n-normal titan…" she stuttered. Erwin nodded. "It was covered in…in…h-hair…" she concluded softly. "Someone died...and Eren. He was happy…then shocked and now…n-now they're travelling back…but…but I can't feel Eren," she said, her voice bathed in fear.

"Tch…what nonsense is this?" an official scoffed behind them. Taryn looked up in surprise.

"Ha! Indeed. You've tolerated this…this sick child and her monstrous brother for too long now, Erwin. See how she's spewing stories to entrap you!" one other official exclaimed, his face red with fury.

Taryn didn't know whether to be shocked or furious. They had ignored her up until now…why the sudden attack?

"Yes! Listen to her stupidity… _hairy titans_ …it was most probably a horrible memory of her godforsaken father that she saw!" another guffawed.

"She's a traitor to humanity. You should have let us kill her and her brother when we got the chance! See how much worse the Yeager siblings have made our situation for us!"

"Even if someone did die, it's not like the Survey Corps has been so useful this far…housing titans…not even being able to capture the female…"

"Monster!"

"Traitor!"

Erwin felt Taryn slide off the chair slowly.

"Stories?" she asked in a dangerously low voice. "Traitor? _Monstrous brother?_ "

Before the Commander could even stop her, Taryn had slipped her hand out of his and barreled her way down the hall. Allowing the inherent Yeager temper than ran through her genes take over her, she tackled the official that had insulted her brother to the floor. Yelps of surprise rang through the room as she swung her fist at him.

"Don't you dare-" **_punch_** "-talk about-" **_punch_** "-my brother-" **_punch_** "-or the Survey Corps-" **_punch_** **"** -like that-" **_punch_** "-EVER AGAIN!"

Every time her fist made contact with the man's red, meaty flesh, sinking into the multiple layers of fat, she felt good. She enjoyed the grunts of pain that escaped him. She might have even knocked a tooth loose- wouldn't Captain Levi be proud?

Before she could break his nose, strong arms lifted her up and pulled her off of the official. Immediately, other officials rushed in to help the fallen one.

"Control that titan bitch!" one yelled at Erwin. The Commander held a struggling Taryn firmly in his arms and nodded. Seething as he was at her actions, he wouldn't waste this opportunity.

"Give me permission to use your men, or I won't leave," he said quickly. The man's eyes bugged out of his head at Erwin's impudence.

"Fine! Take as many as you need! Just get her out of here and don't come back!" he shouted, his face turning an ugly shade of purple.

"Thank you, sir," he said simply before carrying Taryn out of the wall and shutting the door behind him.

* * *

He continued to carry her down the long halls, disregarding the growls that escaped her mouth and her small fists that were beating his back.

"Let me go! He needs to die!" she exclaimed angrily, struggling as hard as she could to escape his firm grip. He ignored her.

Finally, he entered a small empty room, equipped only with a rectangular wooden table and four wooden chairs. He turned around and closed the door, locking it, before he set her down on the floor and let go of her.

She snarled, ready to charge back out there, only to run into a solid wall of muscle that was Erwin Smith. Taryn looked up at him, ready to shove him out of her way, only to flinch back at the fire that burned in his blue eyes.

He was furious.

She had seen him get angry before, but this time it was terrifying because…all of his anger was directed _at her_.

He took a deep breath before speaking.

"You said they were returning to Wall Rose, correct?" he asked. Taryn could feel her knees go weak- and not for any good reason. His voice was as cold as ice. It pierced her sharply, hurting her and scaring her at the same time.

"…y-yes, sir," she answered, unable to meet his eyes.

"Good. I will send for a horse and an escort. You are to meet with Hanji and the rest of them at the wall and stay with them for the rest of the mission."

At this, Taryn snapped her eyes back up to look at him in consternation.

"Wha-? But, sir! You said I could accompany you!" she protested.

He stared her down unblinkingly.

"You have disappointed me greatly, Ms. Yeager. What you did back there is not how a soldier is supposed to behave…especially no soldier of mine. I expected more from you."

She recoiled at his words. Although the words themselves were not harsh, the tone behind them left no doubt as to how angry the Commander was. His words made her feel so small and ashamed.

"Follow me. You'll leave immediately," he said, turning around to unlock the door.

Taryn felt her heart sink. But no…she was supposed to stay with him…to help him. This had all happened so fast! She cursed her temper. Was this how Eren felt when he lost his temper? Overwhelming regret afterwards?

She followed the Commander through the castle silently, struggling to find the words to say to him. To apologize. To plead forgiveness. To beg him to let her stay by his side. But she couldn't find those words. Nothing could justify her actions.

They reached the front gate all too soon where Erwin immediately managed to arrange for a horse and a Military Police escort to come over. Taryn grudgingly settled herself on the horse, trying to catch the Commander's eyes. He ignored her.

"Take her to Wall Rose and rendezvous with the Survey Corps there- mainly Squad Leader Hanji. Then report to the Garrison commander to perform your duties," he commanded the soldier who nodded in confirmation. Then, he began making his way back to the castle.

"Wait! E-Erwin!" Taryn cried out, unable to stop herself. The Commander froze at her use of his first name. He slowly turned around to face her.

"Sir, I'm so sorr-"

"Don't apologize if you don't mean it, Ms. Yeager."

Taryn couldn't help it when her jaw dropped at his cold demeanor. He wouldn't even let her apologize?

Without another word, Commander Erwin turned and walked away from Taryn, leaving the girl behind with a heavy heart.

* * *

Commander Erwin shook his head as he walked through the castle. No doubt he had some issues to settle, regardless of whether or not the officials wanted to see him again.

Taryn's face flashed through his mind. Her expression of immense guilt and dismay tugged at his heart, but he pushed any sympathetic feelings to the side. She needed to learn how to control that temper of hers. He knew that Eren Yeager had a horrid temper (who didn't know about that), but he had always believed Taryn to be levelheaded, unlike her brother. He overestimated her abilities, he guessed.

Erwin sighed. He did feel rather guilty for leaving her with such cold parting words. Well, hopefully they could have a talk when they met up again.

* * *

It was around a three-hour ride to get to the wall from the castle. Night melted into day- the sun shining brightly on all the surroundings. Taryn rode quietly by the Military Police soldier's side, not wanting to talk. She was still so angry with herself for behaving in a way that disappointed the Commander.

"Hey, titan-girl."

Taryn scrunched her nose in irritation. The soldier was looking back at her and frowning.

"What?" she said in a dead voice.

"Pissed off Commander Erwin, huh?" he asked, slowing down his horse so that he was trotting next to her instead of in front of her.

"No…he's sending me away because he thought I'd enjoy this lovely ride with you…" she said sarcastically. The soldier rolled his eyes.

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you," he commented dryly.

Taryn sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I know…I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It happens to the best of us."

"Yeah, but rarely to me…I don't understand why I lost my temper…" she said sadly.

The soldier looked at her.

"What's your name?" he asked.

Taryn was surprised at the change in subject. "Um, Yeager. Taryn Yeager."

He nodded. "Taryn. That's a nice name." There was a pause. "Isn't your brother's name Eren?"

"Yeah…why?"

"Why'd your parents make your names rhyme?"

She shot him an exasperated look.

"My dad picked my name and my mom picked Eren's name…they had similar tastes I guess…"

There was an awkward silence that followed.

"So, um…what's your name?" she asked.

"Boris. Boris Feulner."

"What made you join the Military Police?"

Boris scoffed. "What do you think?"

Taryn glanced down. Safety, of course. Except, nothing seemed that safe anymore. She looked up at Boris again. He was staring straight ahead, his face stoic. He had silver hair, unusual for someone who was so young (he was around her age) and pale, golden eyes.

"Why did you join the Survey Corps?"

Taryn jumped, slightly startled, and shifted her eyes forward, hoping that he hadn't caught her staring at him. The subtle, smug look on his face said otherwise.

"To keep an eye on my brother."

Boris snorted. "The titan-brat, right? How much trouble can one brat get into?"

Taryn rolled her eyes, not having enough energy to knock him off his horse for insulting her brother.

"You're lucky I'm too depressed to fight you for that comment," she muttered.

She heard a funny noise come from the boy and watched in surprise as a faint grin shone on his lips.

"Oh really? I think I could take you out in less than thirty-seconds," he challenged mockingly. There was no hint of a real challenge in his tone- he was just trying to cheer her up, she realized. It was working.

"Hey, don't forget, I can talk to titans. So I can have one eat you in…four seconds maybe?" she said, pretending to calculate stuff in her head.

He chuckled.

"That's an unfair advantage though!"

"My, my, you're a sore loser aren't you?" she countered with a wide smile. Boris returned the smile gently, pleased to see that she had finally snapped out of the depressed funk she had been in.

They continued to bicker for a little while longer before chatting about other things in general. They strayed away from any talk of war, preferring to talk about their families, their favorite foods and books, and many other things. Soon, the conversation turned back to the subject of Commander Erwin.

"Don't feel too badly about it; everyone loses their temper at one point. From what you've told me, it sounds like the officials deserved it," he drawled.

Taryn shrugged. "Maybe they did, or maybe they didn't. The point is that the Commander expected more from me…and I let him down."

Boris turned to study the girl carefully.

"Have people lost their temper in front of him before?" he asked.

Taryn nodded. "Yeah. Captain Levi is a constant asshole in front of him…well, he's an asshole all the time anyways, so I don't know if that counts…but my brother is always messing up in front of him."

Boris looked thoughtful.

"Did you ever consider the fact that maybe the reason he holds you to such high standards is because he might care about you and trust you?"

Taryn almost fell off of her horse at his words.

"I don't think so…" she said, trying to keep herself steady. "The Commander doesn't care much about anyone besides his closest friends…I think he sealed himself off from feeling anything a long time ago."

Boris didn't say anything. Taryn sighed.

"And that's one wall even someone with titan powers can't break through…"

* * *

They reached the wall a lot quicker than Taryn could have guessed. Boris dropped her off next to a frenzied Hanji, patting her head affectionately and shooting her a sly grin before he left to report to the Garrison. Taryn felt warm. She didn't know if she'd ever see Boris again, but she was glad she got the chance to meet him. He was a reminder of the good that existed in the world- even within the Military Police.

Taryn took in the situation around her with surprised eyes. Ymir was lying down in a cot not far away. She looked pale and was missing some limbs. Krista had knelt down next the older woman, stroking her brown hair back and murmuring softly to her.

"Hey, Hanji," Taryn said, greeting the Squad Leader. Hanji looked shocked to see her.

"Weren't you supposed to be with Erwin?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah…something happen-" Taryn was cut off by someone loudly crying out her name.

She spun around to see Eren excitedly running over to her, followed closely by Armin.

"Oh my goodness! Eren!" she exclaimed, grunting slightly as he ran straight into her, hugging her tightly. "I'm so relieved that you're okay!"

"Taryn, guess what?" he asked, bouncing up and down in excitement once he had released her.

Taryn laughed. "What, Eren?"

"He killed his first titan as a scout at Castle Utgard," Armin cut in smoothly, grinning from ear to ear at the sight of his friend.

Taryn quickly hugged her blonde friend as well before laughing at Eren's putout expression.

"I wanted to tell her," he pouted.

Taryn patted him consolingly on the shoulder. All thoughts of the Commander flew out the window when she was with her brother and Armin. A crippling sense of relief washed over her at the knowledge that her small family was all right.

"Taryn?"

Said girl turned around to see Reiner sitting on the wall, cradling his arm. Bertholt was next to him, looking as stressed as ever. They both had surprised expressions on their faces.

Taryn regarded them warily. She hadn't seen them since Annie had mentioned their names in her mind. Were they her accomplices?

"Hey, guys," she said in a forced-cheerful voice, walking over to them. "What happened to your arm?" she asked curiously.

"Got bit by a titan," he groaned, wincing in pain.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. It must have hurt.

"How are you doing?" Bertholt asked softly.

She gave him a pained smile. "Okay, I guess…"

At this point, Taryn was enormously conflicted. These two guys were her friends...supposedly. Obviously, due to Annie's words, they were her accomplices, which means they weren't up to anything good. But she really didn't want to believe that. Reiner was a mother hen who made sure that everyone was all right, fussing over each individual in their squad and lavishing them with affection. Bertholt was silent but observant, offering himself as a figure of comfort whenever someone needed it. They couldn't be bad… Taryn desperately wished she had spoken to the Commander about this. Other than the fact that this was possibly important information, she knew that he would be able to help her sort her feelings about this situation she was caught up in.

"Hey, Taryn! It's Mr. Hannes! He has something to tell us!" Eren called from behind her. Sure enough, Mr. Hannes was lifting himself up onto the wall, his face covered in sweat.

"We should go-" Taryn muttered, turning around to leave. She was stopped by Reiner's large hand, which was clamped around her wrist.

At the small physical contact, Taryn immediately felt a wave images flash through her mind, accompanied by various emotions.

 _Bertholt, Annie and Reiner huddled together in a group, talking in hushed and quiet voices_.

 _Reiner getting grabbed by the female titan and lifted in the air, only to share a meaningful look with her_.

 _Bertholt watching Annie with a longing look in his eyes_.

 _Reiner bursting through Wall Maria, his armoured body glinting in the sun_.

 _Bertholt's perspective of standing more than sixty meters, looking over Wall Maria at the town in front of him, feelings of guilt running through him as he considered what he had to do._

Taryn's eyes widened and she pulled her hand out of his grasp, breathing heavily.

"Y-you're…" she stuttered. Reiner didn't look fazed by her reaction. Bertholt was sweating bullets.

"Yeah…" he admitted calmly. Taryn shook her head. She had had a nagging suspicion of this the whole time, but she never wanted to believe it. She willfully ignored the facts in front of her, because, who wants to suspect their friends of being the titans that ruined life as they knew it?

Taryn felt someone wrap an arm around her shoulder.

"Taryn, what's going on?" came the familiar voice of her younger brother. She was frozen, unable to say anything, her eyes darting between the two large figures in front of her and Eren.

Reiner spoke for her. He looked around to make sure that no one was nearby. Everyone was gathered around Mr. Hannes except for Mikasa who lingered slightly away from the group, trying to keep an eye out on Eren as usual.

"Eren, we need to talk," the blonde man said quietly.

"Sure," Eren replied, oblivious to the tension flowing in their small group.

Reiner sighed and rubbed his head before speaking. "Listen, I'm the Armoured Titan…and Bertholt is the Colossal Titan."

Bertholt blanched. The words hit Taryn at full force when spoken aloud.

Reiner continued. "We'll leave the Walls alone if you and Taryn come with us to our home village."

"Oh…well…um," Eren muttered. He didn't even look surprised, Taryn noticed with shock.

What she didn't know is that when she was with the Commander, Hanji, Eren, Mikasa and Armin had already discussed the possibility of Bertholt and Reiner being Annie's accomplices. At the moment, Eren was more caught up with how to proceed rather than reacting to the information given.

"Listen, Reiner," he said soothingly, clapping the tall blonde on the shoulder, "obviously, you're slightly delirious, especially after the ordeal you've been through. I mean, even if you guys were the titans, why would you tell me and expect me to follow meekly? Right, Bertholt?"

Bertholt nodded hastily. "Yeah, exactly! Right, Bertholt?"

But Bertholt didn't answer. His eyes tightened. Slowly, he began to unwind the cloth that was wrapped around the wound on his arm. Taryn noticed swirls of steam issuing from the wound.

 _Oh no._

She had never heard any thoughts from Reiner before, but all of a sudden, it was all there, laid out neatly in her mind, almost as if he were whispering directly into her ear.

 _Bertholt. The plan happens now. Take Taryn. I'll take Eren. Ymir too._

Taryn snapped her gaze over to Reiner in fear. _Ymir's a titan too?_ she thought with surprise. She definitely did not see that coming.

"Eren, we need to leave. Everyone needs to get off this wall now" she murmured softly as Reiner's wound healed. Eren cocked an eyebrow at his sister's panicked look.

A cold chuckle came from Reiner. The siblings watched him warily. His wound had fully healed and he was now flexing his arm experimentally.

"It's time I become the warrior I was before," he growled. He reached out to grab Eren and Taryn by the scruff of their necks, but in a flash, his hand was gone. All that was left was a bloody stump.

"Mikasa!" Taryn exclaimed gratefully, happy to see her sister, her stormy grey eyes ablaze with fury, her blades covered in Reiner's blood. Her happiness was short-lived.

All of a sudden, a number of things happened at once.

The portion of the wall that Eren and Taryn were standing on suddenly buckled under the weight of half of a Colossal Titan. Taryn's eyes were wide as she took in the sight of Bertholt's transformation. Burning hot steam flew everywhere, knocking many unsuspecting soldiers within a one-mile radius off their feet. He grabbed Ymir off her cot and threw her into his mouth.

"YMIR!" Krista could be heard shrieking.

Reiner simultaneously transformed into his Armoured Titan and swiftly picked up Eren in one hand and Taryn in the other. The Yeager siblings cried out helplessly as their arms were pinned to their bodies in the titan's grasp.

"Reiner, please!" Taryn begged.

The titan ignored her pleas, jumping off the top of the Wall.

"Ere-" Taryn yelped desperately. Before she could finish calling his name, there was a blinding flash and a very familiar-

 _ROARRRRRRR_

* * *

Erwin shook his head in frustration; his headache had been getting worse during the day. He cursed his inability to sleep.

Not even an hour after he had sent Taryn on her way to the Wall, Erwin had gotten on his horse and made his way to Trost District to meet up with Commander Pixis and Levi. The entire way there, he was plagued with an uncertainty and small accidents.

When he tried to get on his horse, the saddle hadn't been securely fastened and he slipped off. Erwin brushed that one off as a result of his own haste and frustration. Mistakes happened.

Later on, as he was riding a rogue tree branch scraped against his right arm, leaving a shallow cut in the skin and tearing the fabric of his shirt. Erwin ignored this as well.

But then something happened that he couldn't ignore. His normally very sturdy horse tripped when its hoof sank into a snake hole, causing the poor creature to twist its ankle, not allowing it to walk, let alone carry Erwin to Trost.

At this point, the Commander felt like something was very off, but he couldn't tell what. He tried to excuse it as just nerves, but he wasn't anxious about anything at the moment, so the feeble justification didn't console him.

Finally, he reached Trost District and rendezvoused with Commander Pixis and Levi. They were amongst many restless soldiers, Jean Kirchstein being one of them, whispering about the rumour of the breach in Wall Rose.

"Levi," Erwin called, walking up to his long-time comrade who was currently guarding Pastor Nick. Levi nodded at the Commander before looking around briefly, searching for someone. Erwin knew who that someone was.

"Where's the brat's sister?" Levi asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I sent her to be with Hanji," Erwin said firmly, signaling to Levi that he didn't want to speak on the subject anymore. Luckily, Levi wasn't one to pry anyways, so he dropped it with a shrug.

"THE VANGUARD IS BACK!" a soldier yelled. Everyone watched as a group of bedraggled soldiers ran up to them, collapsing in exhaustion.

"Report," Commander Pixis said, not unkindly, bending slightly to address the tired soldiers.

One with dark black hair spoke up.

"There are no breaches in Wall Rose, but…" he paused, catching his breath, "…but three of the recruits…th-they're…"

"Well, spit it out, man!" Jean growled.

"Titan shifters!" the man finally choked out. Erwin's eyes widened, something tugging at his memory.

 _"_ _Was there anything else the female titan said? Anything at all?"_ _Erwin had asked Taryn. She shook her head, refusing to look him in the eye. Erwin knew she was lying…she was protecting someone. But he wouldn't push her further…not today._

He felt his heart sink.

"Who was it!?" Jean yelled, his teeth bared in anger.

"Jean, wait," Erwin said, his calm demeanor belaying the fact that his every muscled was tensed. He turned to the vanguard soldier. "What happened when their identities had been exposed?" he asked carefully.

His heart stood still as he waited for an answer.

"The Scouting Legion attempted to engage the Colossal and Armoured Titan…but by the time we got there. It was too late…" the soldier gasped, looking down at the ground.

"Why?" Erwin was desperate for more information. Levi glanced at Erwin, his normally indifferent, silver eyes filled with concern.

The soldier looked up, dread reflected on his face.

"Th-the Yeager siblings. They kidnapped the Yeager siblings."

And all of a sudden, Erwin knew why everything felt off.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** Okay so I wanted to address one more thing (not related to this story though). I've gotten a few questions as to why I posted a story ("Like a Drug") and then took it down. The reason I did this is because as much as I want to write the new fic, I really only have enough time to work on this one. I didn't want to start a fic that I know I can't update or finish. If anyone saw the summary of the story idea and wants to use it to write their own fic, I am 100% okay with that (in fact I encourage it!).

For the song thing here below- it's _Maps_ by Maroon 5, but I absolutely adore the version covered by Madilyn Bailey on Youtube. Go check it out! It's a lot more emotional than the original :)

ALSO, I've discovered that most of my writing occurs between the hours of 8 pm and 3 am, meaning that I make typos without realizing it. So if anyone would like to be my **beta** , I would be most grateful! Just message me if you're interested! (And I apologize in advance for any mistakes you seen in this and the last chapter. And all the chapters *hides face in shame*)

Anyways, enjoy part 2 of this two-for-one chapter update (prepare yourselves…it's _a lot_ of action with some Erwin x Taryn fluff at the end!) **Once again, spoilers! (Missing body parts and what not).** _You've been warned_.

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Eight: Control

 _"_ _But I wonder where were you?  
_ _When I was at my worst, down on my knees.  
_ _And you said you had my back,  
_ _So I wonder where were you?  
_ _When all the roads you took came back to me,  
_ _So I'm following the map that leads to you."_

 _(Maps- covered by Madilyn Bailey)_

* * *

Commander Erwin had lost a lot of people in life, not counting the soldiers he had sent to die. He had been surrounded by death from the second he was born. His mother had died in childbirth. His father was murdered when he was not even ten years old. He lost the love of his life as a young man when he chose to defend humanity over marrying her. His best friend, Mike, had died within the cruel grasp of a titan.

Now, he might lose the girl who had somehow managed to squirm her way into his life, serving as a constant presence of warmth and comfort in the cold world he lived in.

Death had taken away many of his loved ones. He had been helpless to stop any of them…but not this time. He wouldn't let another life he cared about slip through his fingers.

"How long has it been since they were taken?" he asked an exhausted Hanji once they had ventured to Wall Rose. The squad leader had taken a lot of damage from the battle against the Colossal Titan, suffering severe burns and trauma to the head, but she stayed strong.

"It's been a little over five hours now," she mused.

"What can we do, Hanji?" he asked tightly.

If Hanji noticed the strained tenor of anxiety in her friend's voice, she didn't say anything about it.

"Go to the Forest of Giant Trees. After the battle we had, they'll have to rest and recuperate while staying out of the reach of titans. If you can get there before nightfall, you may be able to catch up," she wheezed weakly.

He nodded and turned to leave, but not before Hanji grabbed his hand, pulling him back.

"What is it?" he snapped in irritation. Every second they wasted here was another second they couldn't use to rescue Taryn…and Eren, of course. Hanji didn't even look fazed, but she did send Erwin a pitying look.

"I'm sorry," he sighed.

She shrugged. "I understand." Erwin knew that she understood better than anyone else. "And I know I was the one who told you to be selfish about your desires and everything, but…promise not to do anything rash, yeah?" she said cautiously.

He nodded, unsure whether or not he could stick to that promise.

* * *

" _Eren…Eren…_ "

Eren's head felt very heavy. His throat was dry and he wanted to gag. Every part of his body ached and he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. He felt a soft, warm hand sweep his bangs out of his eyes.

"Eren, love," a gentle whisper said.

He blinked his eyes a few times, trying his hardest to open them. A familiar face was situated above him.

"T-Taryn?" he asked, his voice scratchy from not using it.

"I'm here, baby," she murmured, tenderly running her fingers through his hair.

"Mmmm…wh-what happened?" he asked, trying to remember everything.

"Oi! Eren, you awake yet?" a sharp voice called. Eren winced at the pain that surged through his head at the volume of the voice.

"Yeah, the princess is finally getting up, Reiner," Ymir said with a yawn.

"Reiner?" Eren asked. Then, all the memories of the last few hours flooded his mind. "Reiner…" he growled. He sat up sharply, narrowly avoiding hitting his sister's chin with his head and glared at the tall blonde boy.

"Y-you…b-b…wh-wha…wh…" He couldn't get a single word out. A tendril of steam drifted past his face and he looked down in alarm to see that his arms currently ended in stumps.

"My hands!" he yelped.

"Sorry, we had to get out of there quickly, so I may have dismembered you," Reiner apologized.

"Don't worry, I'm in the same boat," Ymir said dryly, waving a stump of her arm at Eren. The steam that issued from it showed that she was going through the titan-healing process as well.

Suddenly, he remembered his sister was there as well. He turned around and was relieved to see that she wasn't harmed except for a few scratches on her face. While she could talk to titans, she didn't have their regenerative powers.

"Well you said that once his majesty woke up, you'd tell us what you were going to do with us," Ymir drawled. Eren rolled his eyes.

"We're taking you to our home town."

While the two spoke, Taryn noticed that Eren was bringing his arm up to his mouth.

"Eren! Stop!" she yelped. He froze. Her exclamation caught the attention of the others as well.

"Don't do that, stupid!" Ymir said.

"Why not?" he snarled.

"Look around you!"

Eren grudgingly followed her directions and scoped his surroundings. There was a fifteen-meter titan lying down at the base of the tree they were seated in, its eyes watching them with an eerie precision. A few smaller titans played around on his stomach, some trying to claw their way up the tree. He turned his head to the right and almost had a heart attack when he caught sight of another fifteen-meter titan peeking out from behind a nearby tree trunk. It stared at them intensely.

"Good. You see them now?" Ymir asked. Eren nodded. "According to your sister, they're pretty intent on eating us- like every other titan out there. But these are especially dangerous. They're deviants, right Taryn?"

Eren watched as his sister nodded. "They seem especially concentrated on getting us, Eren. Maybe it's because they can somehow sense that we're titan-shifters…" she pondered.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Eren asked in confusion.

"Huh? Oh, nothing…just a theory," Taryn said hastily.

"Anyways. Transforming into a bumbling titan right now is equivalent to a death sentence for all of us. Only Reiner, Bertholt and Taryn have their 3DMG. So please just don't," Ymir concluded.

Eren grumbled but nodded, finally accepting defeat. It was mostly because he didn't want to endanger his sister and the fact that he hadn't fully healed, meaning that his transformation would be sub-par at best.

"Smart man," Reiner grunted.

Eren turned around and ignored the other three, choosing to talk to his sister instead.

"Hey, Taryn?" he began. He watched as his sister sat with her legs crossed, seemingly more relaxed now that she knew he wouldn't transform.

"Hmm?"

"I didn't really think about this earlier, but why did you come to Wall Rose? Weren't you supposed to stick with Commander Erwin?"

He watched with concern as her face paled instantly.

"Yeah…" she muttered.

"Well, what happened?" he pressed. She bit her bottom lip. Eren knew that if it were anyone else asking, she would have shut the conversation down immediately due to her reaction. But she had always opened up to him for some reason.

"I…I disappointed him…"

"You?" Eren asked in disbelief. His sister, the patron saint of everything good in this world (okay, maybe that was an exaggeration) had disappointed the Commander? "How? Did you steal his bolo tie or something?"

She laughed at his comment. Eren grinned, happy to see his sister in better spirits.

"Nah…I just lost my temper and beat up one of the officials at the Rose capital."

Eren's jaw dropped.

" _You_ lost your temper and _beat_ someone up?"

Taryn wrinkled her nose. "Why am I hearing more approval in your voice than disapproval?"

Eren chuckled. "Maybe it's because it's nice to know that I didn't inherit all the bad Yeager genes."

Taryn joined in his laughter for a bit.

Meanwhile, Reiner, Bertholt and Ymir watched the two siblings with a sort of guilt and longing. Not that any of them would admit it.

"Did they really have to be dragged into this?" Bertholt asked softly. Reiner sighed.

"You know we need them, Bertl."

"Do we? I mean, we were fine living our lives as normal people, Reiner…"

Reiner turned to face his friend, his eyes fiercely burning.

"Bertl," he said, gripping the taller boy's shoulders firmly, "don't forget that we're not soldiers. We're warriors."

"Yeah…pussy warriors…" Ymir sneered.

"You're one to talk!" Reiner shot at her.

"Either way, we've got a long way to go before we can do anything about humanity," Bertholt said, interrupting the two.

"By the way, Bertl, you still have to tell Annie how you feel when we go back home," Reiner said quietly so that only Bertholt could hear. His friend blushed and nudged him in the ribs.

They lapsed into silence, watching as Taryn rested her head on her brother's shoulder while he murmured softly to her. There was no other noise in the forest besides the occasional grunt from a titan below.

"I can't believe you didn't even think about getting us water…"

"Ymir, I swear, if you bitch about anything else, I will end you right now."

* * *

It was hardly twenty minutes later when Reiner noticed military flares not far from the forest.

"Shit…it seems like Commander Erwin moves a lot quicker than we expected," he muttered. "We're moving out now!"

"Now? But it's not nightfall yet!" Eren protested.

"Doesn't matter," Reiner grunted. He strapped a still healing Ymir onto his back while Bertholt attempted to strap Eren onto his back.

"Don't be difficult!" Reiner snapped at Eren who was trying to uselessly resist Bertholt's grasp. Eren stopped struggling and allowed himself to be strapped to the giant boy's back.

"Taryn, you have your 3DMG, right?" Bertholt asked quietly. Taryn nodded.

"Run away, Taryn!" Eren yelled at his sister. She shook her head wildly.

"There's no way I'm leaving you in your maimed condition, stupid!"

Eren once again felt like a damsel in distress and hated it.

"Just go, Taryn! Get help!"

"Shut up, Eren!" Reiner shouted stuffing a gag into the boy's mouth. Eren's furious shouts were muffled to everyone's relief (including his own sister's, to her immense guilt).

"A flare?" Ymir wondered. "The Recon Corps is here already?" she gasped.

She immediately began to struggle against her harness.

"I need to see Krista!" she cried out.

"Ymir, stop! We'll fall!" Bertholt cried out as they flew through the forest.

"Let me transform! That way I can distract the Corps and you can grab her and run!"

 _Grab Krista? But why?_ Taryn wondered.

* * *

Erwin rode into the forest accompanied by various soldiers. It was the first time all three regiments had united together for a cause. If he weren't so preoccupied with rescuing Taryn, he would have felt a sense of pride well up within him.

As they entered the forest, they noticed a bright flash of light coming from within the trees. That light could only mean one thing.

"Someone transformed!" he yelled, addressing all the soldiers. "Concentrate on rescuing the siblings. Do not aim to battle the titans!"

Everyone nodded, setting off at a determined pace. Within seconds of entering the forest, more than five soldiers were swept off their horses and eaten. They were from the Military Police.

Screams of dismay and fear were heard throughout the forest, but Erwin pressed forward. He watched as Mikasa, Jean, Armin and Connie switched to 3DMG and swung through the forest ahead of him, ready to rescue Eren and Taryn.

As he rode, Erwin could feel guilt running through him. What was the last thing he said to Taryn?

 _Don't apologize if you don't mean it, Ms. Yeager._

He cringed. He had spoken them so coldly as well. He could clearly picture her distraught expression. Had he overreacted? What if those were his last words to her, ever?

No. He couldn't afford to think like that. He would rescue her…he would be selfish, just like Hanji said.

His thoughts were interrupted with a loud shriek.

"KRISTA! NO! YMIR ATE KRISTA!"

* * *

Once Ymir had Krista safely secured in her mouth, she quickly sprinted off in her titan form to meet up with Bertholt, Taryn and Reiner. Ymir's titan was small and slightly disproportionate in the way that her head was bulbous and much larger than her stout body. She had thick claws that helped her climb on the tree trunks and beady black eyes that shifted around as she navigated through the thick forest.

Finally, she landed on the branch where the rest of her comrades were.

"Got Krista?" Reiner asked quickly. She nodded in confirmation.

"COME OUT AND FIGHT YOU FUCKERS!"

"EREN!"

The familiar shouts of their former comrades could be heard coming closer.

"We need to go. Now."

Within seconds, Reiner had transformed into the Armoured titan. Ymir clung tightly to his back, still in her titan form. Berthold was seated on his shoulder, Eren still strapped to his back. Finally, Taryn was gripped securely in his left hand. He ran out of the forest, ready to make their escape.

* * *

Erwin watched in surprise as the Armoured titan sprinted out of the forest, a smaller titan attached to his back. He recognized a small figure sticking out from the Armoured titan's grasp, her unmistakable curly, black hair stirring frantically in the breeze.

"Taryn…" he murmured. His resolve strengthened.

"ALL SQUADS!" he yelled, attracting everyone's attention. "Keep riding forward! Let the titans follow you!"

Immediately, there was retaliation.

"What?!"

"Are you crazy?"

"You monster! Are you using us as decoys?"

Erwin shook his head. "That is not my intention. The Military Police is performing admirably! The Yeagers must be rescued at all costs!"

"How will we catch up with them?" Armin wondered aloud.

"It doesn't matter. I will kill anyone who gets in my way," Mikasa said lowly.

* * *

At the moment, Ymir had removed Krista from her mouth and was holding the angelic girl in her hand. She had removed the upper half of her body from her titan form, allowing her to speak to Krista.

"Please, let's leave these guys. Ymir, you know I will always be on your side, no matter what!" Krista cried.

Ymir didn't know what to do. She was very conflicted. She sank back into her titan form and roared when she saw Mikasa flying their way, her blades at the ready.

"Reiner! Protect us!" Bertholt screamed in panic, noticing Mikasa as well. Immediately, Reiner grasped Bertholt and Eren in his left hand. Ymir prepared herself to attack.

Mikasa raised her blades, ready to slice through the smaller titan when Krista stopped her.

"Mikasa, stop, please! Don't kill Ymir!" the girl cried.

Mikasa's face darkened.

"It's no use asking me for compassion. There's a limit to the lives I can care about…" she plunged her blades forward, "…and that was decided six years ago."

"Ymir, don't move! You'll die!" Krista exclaimed. Ymir stopped moving according to the girl.

"Don't get in my way or I'll have to kill you too," Mikasa spat.

Meanwhile, in front, Taryn had twisted herself around in the Armoured titan's grasp, surveying her surroundings. Her eyes widened at the sight before them.

"Reiner! Watch out!" she yelled. The titan looked down at her for a second before looking back up. Immediately his grasp tightened around her.

He had every right to be worried, because right in front of them, Erwin charged on his horse, a determined look prevalent on his face. Behind him was an army of titans.

"Oh my goodness! He brought all the titans here!" Taryn exclaimed.

* * *

The Armoured titan instantly cupped Taryn, Bertholt and Eren against his chest, his crystallized armour shielding them from the creatures as he barreled through them.

"We need to jump off!" Armin exclaimed, realizing that neither he nor Mikasa would get the same protection from the hungry titans around them. Mikasa reluctantly followed him as they leapt off to land on their horses.

"What on earth is the Commander doing?" Jean gulped.

"ALL UNITS, CHARGE! THIS IS OUR DECIDING MOMENT," Erwin yelled. "HUMANITY HAS NO CHANCE AT A FUTURE WITHOUT EREN AND TARYN. BRACE YOURSELVES!"

The Scouting legion took heart to his words and raced forward, ready to give up their lives for the Yeager siblings.

Taryn could feel Reiner's frustration in her mind.

 _Can't shake them off…have to get through the titans_ …

In desperation, he raised his arms, punching the titans aside. Mikasa took notice of this and saw both the Yeager siblings' bodies poking out from his grasp.

"Armin, look! His hands aren't crystallized anymore! They're open! Now's our chance!"

"What? Now?!" Jean squeaked. "But there's so many titans!"

Erwin sensed his soldiers' indecision. He swung his arm out, blade glistening in the sunlight.

"Charge, right no-"

Before he could finish his command, a searing pain ripped through his right arm.

Mikasa turned around in shock to see that a titan had its mouth securely fastened around the Commander's arm.

"Commander Erwin!" Armin screamed.

"S-Sir?" she gasped. His blue eyes were hard, betraying no feelings of pain.

"KEEP GOING! SHE'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!" he yelled in desperation. Armin didn't miss the slip in the Commander's words.

All the soldiers responded, speeding up and running into the thick of battle. Many of them were picked off their horses and swallowed before they could even lift their blades.

Mikasa flew off her horse, ready to cut Eren free from Bertholt, while Armin followed suit to do the same for Taryn. Unfortunately, she missed the giant titan that came out from the side. It swung its arm out, catching her in its grasp.

"Mikasa!" Taryn shrieked, watching the entire event unfold before her eyes. Eren's muffled cries were drowned out by a roar from his sister accompanied by an attack from Jean.

"LET HER GO YOU DUMBFUCK!"

Meanwhile, Armin had settled himself on one side of the Armoured titan's hand, looking intently at Bertholt. He couldn't use force to make him release Eren, but he could use his intelligence.

"Bertholt," he called. The boy looked up at him in alarm. "Is this really worth it? Running away to leave your comrade, Annie, behind?"

At Annie's name, Bertholt's eyes widened dramatically.

 _Bingo_ , Armin thought.

"Yeah! You know, she's being tortured everyday under the castle. She might never recover, physically or mentally," he continued, watching as Bertholt's face clouded with anguish.

"YOU BASTARDS, I'LL KILL YOU!" he bellowed, raising his blade. Suddenly, he felt a quick flash of pain and noticed a wet warmth covering his torso.

He looked up to see Commander Erwin's blade covered in his blood. Erwin had lost his arm, but that didn't seem to stop him. Bertholt slowly dropped Eren, clutching his abdomen in pain. Mikasa, now free from the other titan's death grip, quickly grabbed Eren and flew off to her horse.

"Commander! Taryn!" Armin exclaimed, pointing to the Armoured titan's other hand. Erwin nodded and flew over there.

"I need you to catch her, Arlert!" he barked.

With a quick flash of his blade, he managed to slide through the titan's unarmoured fingers, letting Taryn slip out of his grasp. Armin caught her in his arms and flew off, followed by the Commander.

Taryn caught sight of Erwin's state and gasped. "Commander!"

He ignored her for the time being.

"ALL UNITS, FALL BACK!"

Everyone got on their horses and began to ride back into the forest.

"Yeah!" Connie whooped excitedly. "We saved Taryn and Eren!"

His excitement was short-lived though.

Suddenly, a large titan fell out from the sky, crushing a soldier beneath its burning hot girth.

Jean cursed.

"Fuck!" he cried, turning around to see what was happening. He watched as the Armoured titan picked up another squirming titan and threw it at them. "Reiner's fucking launching titans at us!" he yelled.

Just then, a particularly large titan fell onto Mikasa's horse, knocking it down and flinging both Mikasa and Eren off.

"EREN! MIKASA!" Taryn yelled as she and Armin continued to ride forward. She tugged on her blonde friend's shoulder. "Armin!" she wheezed, "We have to save them!"

Armin nodded and turned around to catch sight of his friends on the ground. He pulled on his horse's reins, forcing it to change directions and charge towards the titans. Taryn could have sworn she heard someone calling her name, but she ignored it. Right now, she was zeroed in on her brother.

Suddenly, the ground shook beneath them. Taryn looked up and felt like puking. Images violently assaulted her mind as she registered the titan standing before Eren and Mikasa.

It was the ugly fucker that had killed her mother. Eren realized that as well, keeping him frozen in place. He and Mikasa were on the ground, defenseless without their 3DMG. Mikasa's gear had been knocked off by the titan that was thrown at them.

"Armin, what do we do?" she asked desperately. For once, her blonde friend had no idea. They just watched in fear as the tall titan reached a hand out, grinning in its morbid way…mocking her...

 _No…I can't lose Eren to it too…_

* * *

Erwin heard loud shouts behind him, but one stood out to him in particular. She was calling for her brother and foster sister.

He watched as she and Armin turned around to run back to their fallen friends.

"No, Taryn!" he yelled fruitlessly. She was running back to the titans. He didn't get his arm bitten off by a titan to only lose her again! "Fucking Yeagers," he growled, cursing for what seemed like the first time in years. He felt justified in his frustration though- between the troubles both Taryn and Eren caused, he wasn't sure how much longer he could stay alive. They would kill him from pure stress before a titan could eat him.

He made his horse change directions and pursued Taryn with a hard determination.

Since he was so focused in on grabbing Taryn and escaping, he didn't notice the large titan heading his way. So, it was quite a shock to him when Ymir, in her titan form, leaped over him and smashed the titan's head between her teeth. But, in the process of attacking the titan, Ymir's foot had hit the Commander, knocking him off his horse. He fell to the ground with a grunt, pain radiating through his right side. His stump of an arm was still bleeding freely. The massive blood loss was weakening him, causing him to stumble dizzily as he tried to get up.

 _No…I need to save Taryn…_ he thought wildly. He vaguely noticed that a blonde soldier was bravely fighting the titan that threatened to kill Eren and Mikasa. _Is that…Hannes_? he wondered. Not seconds later, the soldier was ripped in two by the titan, his entrails hanging gruesomely from his upper half.

"Commander!" a random soldier cried out, running towards him. Erwin couldn't recognize him, his vision swimming blurrily in front of him. The adrenaline he had been fighting with was finally running out. His entire right side felt like it was on fire, agony piercing his every nerve.

"Don't worry about me," he coughed, doubling over. He raised his head, sweat causing his usually neat blonde hair to get plastered to his forehead. "Go…save the Yeagers and escape from here," he pleaded in a harsh whisper.

He heard a strangled yell and watched as the soldier he had been talking to was gone…he had gone into the mouth of a small titan nearby.

* * *

Eren and Mikasa watched as Mr. Hannes was ripped into pieces, slowly being swallowed by the titan that had eaten Carla Yeager. They looked around to see that Armin was under a tree, holding a bloodied and unconscious Jean in his arms, a look of pure terror on his face.

Taryn was laying down a few feet away, her ankle sprained from falling off of Armin's horse due to a titan knocking her off. She struggled to her feet and tried limping her way over to her brother. Commander Erwin was lying even further away, unable to get up as exhaustion finally settled over him.

Everyone was dying. Everyone would die. They were losing. Titans were winning. A horde of the monsters were closing in on Mikasa and Eren.

The emerald-eyed boy clenched his fists tightly. He felt a soft hand gently cling to his shoulder. He turned to see Mikasa looking at him with a beautiful smile on her lips. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears.

His breath caught in his throat. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen Mikasa looking so….so peaceful. So beautiful.

"Eren, there's something I need to tell you," she said softly, her other hand gripping the red scarf around her neck tightly. Her face leaned closer to his. "Thank you," she murmured.

"F-for what?" he stammered.

She laughed, a light tinkling sound that seemed so out of place amidst the battle, but at the same time, it sounded so…right.

"Thank you for teaching me how to live…thank you," she choked out in a half-laugh, half-sob, "…for wrapping this scarf around me!"

Eren could feel warmth permeating through his entire body at her words. He leaned forward, his heart beating faster than a hummingbird's wings, to rest his forehead against hers. He heard her sharp intake of breath at this physical gesture.

He cupped her cheek in his hand.

"Something like that…I'd wrap it as many times as I need to," he murmured, blushing at his cheesy words. Even Mikasa laughed at how corny it sounded.

They were holding each other, not caring about the fact that the world was falling to pieces around them. They could feel the heavy presence of the titan's hand hovering over them, ready to grab them and eat them. Mikasa squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face into Eren's neck. He held her tightly and closed his eyes as well.

 _We'll be okay_ , he thought. _Mom, I'm sorry for not being able to protect everyone…Mikasa….Taryn…even Armin._ He knew that his mother wouldn't care. She would just hug him to her breast and lavish him with kisses.

He was her brave boy. He would always be.

"Oh no you don't."

His eyes snapped open and he managed to catch sight of his sister standing in front of him and Mikasa, her hands curled at her sides. She was leaning heavily on her left leg, trying to keep any weight off of her right ankle.

"You don't get to fucking mess with my brother. Only I get to do that," she snarled.

* * *

Erwin was on his knees, watching as everything went to shit. Most of his soldiers were dead. Titans were running amuck, having a feast with all the people around. He only had eyes for one person.

He had seen Taryn fall off her horse and hurt her leg. He also saw as she stood up and began to limp over to her brother. He was sure that she would drag herself through the dirt on her stomach if that was what it took to reach her brother.

She positioned herself in front of the boy, who was huddled on the ground, staring straight up at the titan. To his horror, he watched as another large titan crawled up behind her, unnoticed by her.

"No, Taryn…" he yelled, trying to warn her. _What do you think you're doing_?

She slowly raised her fist, a look of pure hatred dominant on her face…and swung at the titan's outstretched hand, the force of the swing causing her to lose her balance and fall to her knees. It had no effect on the hungry titan, who just keep grinning at her, almost in mock fascination. She struggled to straighten herself up and raised her other fist, ready to try and hit the titan again.

What Erwin saw next was an image that would forever be ingrained into his memory.

As she slowly stood up, he watched as the titan behind her straighten up as well, his position mimicking her own. As she raised her fist, the titan followed, its large arm flying into the air as well. Finally, when she swung, the titan swung too, roaring furiously and launching itself onto the grinning titan.

Erwin's eyes widened in shock. Even Taryn was caught by surprise. Eren wasted no time.

More and more titans swarmed to them, but they were attacking the grinning titan instead of grabbing the humans.

"Come on!" Eren yelled, pulling Mikasa onto his back. He let Taryn loop her arm around his neck as well as she tried her best to limp quickly along side him. The two Yeagers were truly a power team. Their abilities knew no end.

 _No wonder everyone's so desperate to have these two_ , Erwin thought wearily.

* * *

By the time they had climbed up onto the wall, there were considerably fewer soldiers than they had left with.

"Take care of the wounded first!" one soldier commanded. The Garrison soldiers who were stationed on the wall nodded and rushed to aid those who were hurt. Mikasa lay in a cot, a few of her ribs fractured. Eren hovered over her, worry clear in his eyes.

"I'm fine, Eren," she grimaced, trying to force a smile. He frowned, resting his hand over hers.

Not too far away from them, Taryn sat with the Commander.

"Erwin," she gasped, trying to support his weight on her shoulder.

He grinned through the pain, just so relieved that she was okay. "I'm so sorry for what I did!" she murmured, tears filling her eyes. He shook his head.

"Taryn…I should apolo-" but before he could finish, the net effect of massive blood loss, stress and pain caused him to collapse.

"COMMANDER!" she yelled as he slumped against her. A few soldiers ran to help her keep him up.

"Commander! Can you hear me?" Taryn cried, shaking his shoulder.

"He's losing consciousness," another soldier muttered.

"Here, take my belt and cape," she said, slipping her belt off her pants and handing it to the soldier. He nodded, catching onto her train of thought and created a tourniquet around the Commander's maimed arm. He wrapped the cape around the bloodied stump, hoping to further prevent any blood loss with it.

"Hurry and take him away!" he shouted over his shoulder when he was finished.

It took a team of four soldiers to lift the unconscious Commander onto a horse-drawn cart.

"Taryn! Where are you going?" Eren called, watching as his sister hopped into the cart and maneuvered the Commander's head onto her lap.

"I need to help the Commander!" she responded.

Eren nodded, understanding his sister all too well.

* * *

As the cart rumbled on its way to the castle, Taryn could feel Erwin's head jerking against her lap every so often. She tried her best to make sure that he wouldn't be jostled around too much. To her relief, the combined efforts of the tourniquet and the cape had slowed down the bleeding. Her white pants were covered in his blood. She wasn't disgusted by it- instead it scared her. It served as a reminder of how close she came to losing him.

The ride to the castle gave Taryn time to think about a lot of things. She thought about the fact that apparently she could control titans as well as communicate with them. _Fantastic, just another much-needed freakish ability_ , she thought morosely.

Pushing aside thoughts of anything titan-related, she let her mind lazily wander over to Luka. For the first time since he died, she actually grinned while thinking of him. _You're my guardian angel, aren't you, you idiot,_ she thought affectionately. Someone was watching over all of them, and Taryn was willing to bet that it was Luka.

Finally, she brought her attention to the man who was currently resting on her lap. She pushed aside a few strands of his blonde hair, alarmed at the feverish feeling of his forehead. She wondered why she cared about his health so much. Maybe she was just too tired of losing everyone around her.

The Commander was a special person. Regardless of the arguments they had gotten into and the fact that he couldn't express his feelings, he meant a lot to her.

 _Does he care about me as well?_ she wondered, thinking back to Boris' words. _Nah…he probably just doesn't want to lose someone who could help save humanity_ , she thought. The disappointment that ran through her at the thought caught her by surprise.

She shook her head to clear it of all her thoughts and raised her hand to run her fingers through his soft hair once again. Suddenly, Erwin's eyes flew open, darting around wildly, and he wrapped his large hand around her wrist.

"C-Commander?" she stuttered. Visible relief washed over his face when he caught sight of her.

"Taryn," he sighed softly. "You're here…"

"Yeah, I'm here," she murmured soothingly.

He smiled faintly. "Good. I'm sorry…"

She scrunched her nose in confusion. "Sorry for what?"

His hand tightened around her wrist.

"Please don't ever leave…" he pleaded quietly, not answering her question.

"I-I…" she didn't know how to answer.

"Can't lose you again…" his words began to slur together. His grip on her loosened as his eyes shut. His head lolled to the side in her lap as he lost consciousness once again.

 _Lose me? He must be delirious_ , she mused.

But his words stuck with her the entire ride back.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** So there's a headcanon out there that Erwin is the kind of guy to make 'dad-jokes', yet he does so with a serious expression so that you don't know if it was intentional or not. I don't know why, but I find this thought so entertaining mainly because I can actually see him behaving like that.

Thank you so much to **umbreongurl, nuuk** and **guest** **(s)** for your uplifting reviews. And of course, lots of love to **dareaderreads** for being such an amazing person- I honestly wait to see your reviews since they make me so happy! Thank you to everyone else for your follows and favourites! _Please continue to leave reviews- any reviews at all!_ And to the guest who goes by "Wetplay"- don't you worry your little cyber-butt. Mikasa and Eren will kiss sooner or later. There's only so much sexual tension two teenagers can handle.

As usual, beware of **spoilers** (although I don't think there are any in this chapter). It's up to your discretion to read.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Nine: Words Not Swords

 _"_ _I was standing,  
_ _You were there.  
_ _Two worlds collided,  
_ _And they could never tear us apart._

 _(Never Tear Us Apart- Paloma Faith)_

* * *

Commander Erwin cracked an eye open with great difficulty, blinking a few times to pull himself out of the last vestiges of sleep. Sleep…he couldn't remember the last time he had slept for more than two consecutive hours.

He arched his back and stretched his legs in his bed, trying to alleviate the deep-set ache that had taken over his body. After the fiasco of trying to rescue the Yeager siblings, it was no wonder his whole body hurt. Which reminded him…he looked down at his right arm -or the place where it should have been- and sighed.

Erwin had never been much of a vain person. He had gained an understanding that he was fairly good-looking, according to many peoples' reactions (both male and female alike). Levi had also told him of the nickname he had earned amongst the cadets and soldiers of "Commander Handsome". He thought it was quite funny. But, either way, the safety of humanity was more important to him than looks. So the loss of his right arm was a disappointment, not because it could possibly work against his handsome aesthetic (he did look rather lopsided), but mainly because it would make fighting a tad bit more difficult. He would have to start learning how to use his left hand more efficiently.

A soft groan made him jump slightly and he looked around, trying to search for the source of the noise. The room he was in was quite big. The bed itself was equivalent to at least three of the recruit beds, from the barracks, put together. A little ways away from the bed sat a small armchair. On that armchair, spread out like an awkward starfish, was Taryn Yeager.

Erwin felt something flutter in his stomach as he took in the sight of the sleeping girl. How she had managed to fall asleep in such an uncomfortable position would be a mystery to him. Of course, after all the action they had gone through with the titans, he was sure she was just grateful to have a soft surface to sleep on.

One of her legs was thrown over the arm of the chair while another was falling off the side, her toes just barely skimming the floor. He saw that her ankle was taped with white bandages, most probably to help with the injury she had gotten. Her head was resting on the chair's other arm, her neck angled in a strange way. One of her hands lay resting on her stomach while the other hung to the floor. Her black curls stuck up in every direction, some even falling into her mouth. Finally, he watched as a small rivulet of drool fell from her lips as she slept.

It was the most ungainly sight he had ever seen- so why did he find this image so endearing?

He watched as she stirred, finally waking up. She rubbed her eyes vigorously, trying to keep them open while spitting out the hair that had gotten stuck in her mouth. Slowly sitting up, she raised her arms high above her head, stretching herself. He could hear a faint popping noise coming from her back that sounded most satisfying. Judging by the sigh of relief she just made, it probably felt really good.

"Fucking hell…" she muttered, scratching her head. It seemed she was unaware that he was awake.

"Had a nice sleep?"

"Wahh!" Taryn yelped, spinning around to see the Commander sitting up in bed, a small smile on his face.

She clutched her chest.

"Commander! Please don't scare me like that again or I might die of a heart attack," she gasped.

Erwin cocked an eyebrow.

"Seeing as how you just protected yourself and your siblings from being eaten by a horde of titans, it would be very disappointing if you died from something as simple as a heart attack," he teased.

"Tell me about it," she grumbled. The she peered at him shyly. He had been asleep for a whole week, recovering from his injury. In that week, rough, blonde scruff had grown over his jawline. His hair was no longer styled in the simple, neat parting it was normally in. Instead, it was slightly messy. All of this just enhanced his already attractive features.

Taryn found herself intrigued by the sharp cheekbones that were more prominent due to a lack of eating. She wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers across his face…to map out every line near his eyes and mouth, trying to figure out whether they were caused by laughing or frowning. It would most probably be the latter, she decided. His smiles were rare, yet precious.

"Miss Yeager?" the Commander asked, pulling her out of her stare-fest. She blushed, immediately pushing away all thoughts of touching his face out of her mind. _Where the hell did those thoughts even come from?_ she thought furiously.

"H-how are you feeling, sir?"

Erwin rubbed the back of his neck, ignoring the way his joints groaned in protest.

"I'm alive. That's more than I could ask for."

She nodded slowly.

"And your…arm?"

He could hear the hesitancy in her voice.

"Don't worry, Miss Yeager. It's just a limb."

"Yeah…but's it's still too bad…" she muttered.

"I've fed hundreds of soldiers to the titans. One lost arm is hardly enough to make up for it." He paused to send her a melancholy smirk. "I'll pay off my debts in hell one day."

Taryn rolled her eyes.

"How's your leg?" he asked, looking pointedly at her ankle.

"Ah, Hanji said it's just a sprain. I'll live," she said, rubbing the ankle lightly.

They fell into an awkward silence, both aware of the metaphorical "titan" in the room. Taryn decided to break the quiet.

"Listen sir…about what happened at the capital in Wall Rose. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let my temper get the better of me," she said in a rush.

The Commander didn't say anything, preferring to just study her with those piercing eyes. Taryn fidgeted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Thank you for the apology, Miss Yeager although I think I should apologize as well for overreacting." Taryn looked up at his in surprise. "You're certainly not the first person to lose their temper in front of me and you definitely won't be the last."

"Who else?" she asked curiously.

The corner of Erwin's lips twitched upward. "If I had a gold coin for every time Captain Levi maimed someone for even looking at him the wrong way…" he sighed, "…well then…I'd be a very rich man indeed."

Taryn chuckled at this. With a grunt, she got off the chair and walked over to the Commander's bedside, stretching her legs after hours of being stuck in one position. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes that spoke to the sleepless nights she probably endured.

"How long have you been here, Miss Yeager?" Erwin asked curiously. He was surprised to see her face turn red.

"I…I-I…haven't really left…" she stuttered. Erwin tried to understand her words.

"You've been here the entire week?" he asked slowly.

"Y-yes."

Erwin was speechless. "Why?" he asked, still unable to understand her actions.

"Well…someone needed to take care of you. You had a really bad fever that just wouldn't go away for a while…and you were delirious at times…I couldn't just leave you alone, sir!" she answered defiantly, refusing to meet his gaze.

When he didn't respond, Taryn felt immensely embarrassed.

"I'm sorry if I crossed a boundary by staying, sir," she mumbled dejectedly. "I'll just take my leave then."

As Taryn turned around to depart, she felt something cool grip her wrist, holding her tightly in place.

"Stay," he commanded softly. "Please."

Taryn froze in his grip as the familiarity of the situation gave way to a memory.

 _"_ _Um…goodnight then, Weber," she muttered. She then felt a warm hand wrap around her own. Taryn looked down in surprise to see Luka staring at the ground, holding onto her hand tightly._

 _"_ _Stay, please," he whispered. Taryn gaped at him awkwardly, not sure what to do. "Please?" he asked one more time, locking his eyes with hers. She nodded wordlessly and sat back down next to him. He scooted close to her until their shoulders were touching. Luka then rested his head on top of hers, breathing quietly. Taryn liked his scent. He smelled like the forest…and slightly of sweat, but that was expected._

Any enthusiasm she had felt earlier, due to the Commander's recovery, had disappeared, only to be replaced with someone akin to a knife running through her heart. Taryn needed to get away from there. She quickly pulled her hand out from his grasp, a haunted look creeping over her brown eyes.

"Forgive me, sir," she muttered, hastily walking to the door to leave. She wrenched it open, almost running head first into a bored looking Levi.

"Watch where you're going, brat," he grunted.

She nodded and hurried past him, practically sprinting away from the room. Levi looked inside to see Erwin sitting up in bed, looking stunned and hurt.

"Fuck, Erwin. What did you do to her?" Levi asked with slight concern.

Erwin couldn't find his voice to speak.

"Ah! The keen sting that come with burning, hot love, eh, Erwin?" Dot Pixis chuckled jovially as he swaggered into the room behind Levi.

" _Burning, hot love_?" Levi repeated with disgust. "Did you drink too much on your way here, old man?" he asked, rolling his eyes as he took a seat on the armchair Taryn had just vacated.

"Unfortunately, I have not… _someone's_ making sure that I don't have a drop to drink until the bitter end," Pixis pouted as he sat down on a spare, wooden chair.

"You've got a good subordinate then," Levi concluded somberly. He turned his attention back to the Commander. "Erwin…that girl hasn't left your side even one time this entire week. She's slept for maybe a maximum of three hours before getting up and driving us all insane with trying to take care of you. So why the hell did it look like she was just being chased out by a titan?"

Erwin remained silent, unsure of the reasons for the girl's sudden departure.

"Did she find out how big your dick is?"

"Levi…"

"Hey, just saying. I wouldn't blame the girl who runs away from _that_ monster."

"…Levi!"

Commander Pixis looked at Levi curiously. "How do you know his size, Captain Levi?"

Levi waved his hand dismissively. "A story for another time, old man."

"Ah…" Pixis nodded his head in understanding. He paused for a moment. "Would you like to know mine as well?"

Levi shot the man a bewildered look.

"Just for future reference!" Pixis amended hastily.

"In any case," Erwin interrupted, "I'm fairly sure you both didn't come to visit me to talk about certain parts of our anatomy," he said, firmly directing the conversation away from Taryn and dicks.

Levi got the hint and wrinkled his noise.

"You're right. We came to welcome you back to the land of the living and give you news that will make you wish you hadn't woken up again."

* * *

Taryn ran out from the room quickly, not pausing to gauge the man's reaction. Why did the Commander have to say that? Why did he have to grab her like that?

She had thought that she had come to terms with Luka's death, but apparently not yet.

 _Why did I like it when he grabbed me_!? _No one should make me feel anything like that except for…Luka…_

She walked quickly down the empty hallways, ignoring the clattering echoes of her footsteps.

"Taryn!"

The girl kept walking, unwilling to speak to whoever was calling her. She heard the person begin to jog behind her.

"Taryn!" the person called once again. With a heavy sigh, Taryn turned around to see Hanji running towards her, a big grin plastered across her face.

"Oh, hey Hanji."

"You will never guess what I discovered," Hanji squealed without preamble.

"No, I probably won't," Taryn replied waspishly.

Either Hanji didn't catch onto Taryn's irritated tone, or she just didn't care. Knowing Hanji, it was probably the latter.

"I've figured out something about the titans."

"What? That they're the scum of the earth and need to all die?" Taryn asked glumly.

Hanji pursed her lips.

"Besides that…" she said slowly. "Listen, when we went to Castle Utgard, before you got kidnapped, Connie noticed something weird."

This caught Taryn's attention. "Connie?" Idiot Connie? The one who didn't know how to salute when he first joined as a cadet?

"Yeah! He's waiting for me in the Commander's room. We're going to go give a report to the Commander since I heard he's awake. You want to come?"

"Ah, no…I'm g-goo…I mean I have somewhere…to be…right now…" Taryn stumbled over her words, searching for any excuse to avoid the Commander after her awkward behavior.

Hanji's glasses glinted in the soft light of the hallway as she tilted her head, curiosity creeping into her eyes as she watched Taryn hang her head in shame. Now, Hanji was a very nice, though excitable person, and she generally didn't force people to do things they didn't want to do. This was not one of those times.

With more enthusiasm than was needed, she hooked her arm through Taryn's and dragged the girl back down the hallway.

"ACK! HANJI! WAHHH-" Taryn yelped, flailing around in Hanji's grasp, trying to frantically free herself to no avail. That woman had an iron grip!

"This is important information you need to hear, Taryn!" Hanji chirped cheerfully as she lugged Taryn back to the wooden door that led to the Commander's room. The eccentric woman opened the door and tried to push Taryn across the threshold. "Phew! For a tiny girl, you sure are stubborn as an ox!" Hanji wheezed as she pushed against Taryn's resisting body.

"No, Hanji, please…I can't…he's…I just…awkward…please don't make me!" the girl whispered desperately, trying to cling to the doorframe in retaliation.

Deaf to her subordinate's protests, with one hearty shove Hanji managed to push Taryn across the threshold, making her stumble into the room awkwardly.

"Look who I found, guys!" Hanji crowed loudly, a smug grin on her face as she followed Taryn into the room.

Levi raised a fine eyebrow.

"Oh? Decided to come back, brat?"

Taryn remained stubbornly quiet, refusing to look at anyone as her face slowly turned a bright red.

Commander Pixis peered closely at Taryn, studying her. He then looked at Erwin, watching the man's reaction. Understanding dawned on his features.

"Oh, ho, ho! Captain Levi! Is this the-"

"As Mr. Springer was saying…" Erwin interrupted, saving both himself and Taryn from any of Pixis' embarrassing comments, "…what happened when you reached your village?"

Taryn slowly turned to look at her fellow soldier. Connie always had a goofy grin on his face, even in the roughest of times. You could always count on him to make you smile. But now, his features were solemn and broken, loss evident in his eyes.

"When we got there, there was a large titan lying on top of my house. It was deformed- its limbs were too small to support its weight, so it couldn't move. B-but, when it saw m-me…it…"

Connie paused, his voice wavering slightly as he held back a sob. Taryn peered at Erwin from the corner of her eye. He wasn't paying any attention to her, something that relieved yet annoyed her for reasons she couldn't fathom. His expression softened as he regarded Connie's struggle to speak.

"And then what happened?" he asked soothingly.

"…it...it said, 'Welcome home', to me…"

Immediately, Taryn snapped her eyes back to Connie in surprise. A normal titan spoke? And to a human with no titan abilities whatsoever? At this point, it looked like Connie didn't have the heart to continue, so Hanji patted his shoulder comfortingly and stepped forward to speak.

"We believe that the titan was his mother, based on its words and the fact that it resembled the way his mother looked."

 _His mother?_ Taryn thought wildly. _How?_

"When we visited the village, all the people were missing, presumably eaten by titans, but we noticed that there was no blood anywhere. There were no body parts lying around…nothing."

Erwin looked down at his lap, processing all the information.

"Also, the number of villagers missing matches up perfectly to the number of titans that were found within Wall Rose."

Taryn couldn't believe this. Was Hanji suggesting that-

"The titans are actually humans," the Commander said quietly, "in other words..."

There was a heavy silence in the air that came after the Commander spoke. Everyone felt the implications of his words weighing heavily on them. That meant that they had been striking down _humans_ for the past how many years, now. She felt slightly sick and judging by the light green colour on Connie's face, he was feeling sick as well.

"Well, we don't have solid evidence to assume that yet," Hanji countered, "but it makes sense if you think about it because if we compare the anatomy of a human…"

As Hanji launched into her speculations and theories, Taryn found herself looking at the Commander once again. He had a distant look in his eyes although Taryn was one hundred percent sure that he was still listening to every word Hanji said.

When Hanji neared the end of her speech, Erwin's lips lifted up into a small smile. It wasn't a friendly smile that lit up his eyes and made him seem warm. It was a…weird smile. It disturbed Taryn slightly. Apparently Levi felt the same.

"Oi, Erwin, why are you smiling?"

Erwin was jerked out of his thoughts. "Hmm? Ah, nothing," he said.

"-You're a creepy guy," Levi grunted.

A softer smile fell onto Erwin's lips. It was a sad smile. "People have said that since I was little," he murmured.

"Tch…"

"In any case, where are Eren and Krista?" Erwin asked.

 _Krista? Why is everyone so interested in Krista?_ Taryn asked herself. First Ymir and now the Commander? Taryn generally never got jealous, mainly because she never had any reason to. But right now, she could feel a foreign wave of the despicable feeling wash through her at the Commander's concern for Krista. Combined with the fact that he was blatantly ignoring her (not that she could blame him after she ran off), Taryn felt slightly miffed.

"We've hidden them in a safe place until the chaos is over," Hanji revealed. "Connie will be joining them as well, as soon as we leave to go back."

"I've made the critical decision to make them part of my new squad," Levi said with a sigh, trying to push away the thoughts of his old squad.

"Well what about me?" Taryn asked, concerned to not hear where she'd be placed.

Hanji made to open her mouth and answer, but, to everyone's surprise, Erwin answered.

"She's staying with me," he said resolutely.

"I-I am?"

Taryn was confused. He was willing to keep her by his side?

"Are you sure, Erwin?" Levi asked, carefully looking over his friend.

"Yes. It wouldn't make sense to have both of our keys to freedom in one place. I will try and protect Miss Yeager as best I can."

Taryn deflated slightly. _Of course…he only needs me for my abilities…_

"If you say so…" Levi said, his features arranged in its normal semblance of boredom, yet Erwin could detect the slightest hint of genuine concern in the short captain's tone.

Hanji cleared her throat.

"Well, if it's alright with you, we need to get Connie to the safe place before nightfall. Please excuse us," she said, leaving with a bright grin. Connie followed her, pausing to look at Taryn somberly.

"You'll help us destroy the person responsible for this right?" he asked quietly. Taryn nodded, thrown off slightly by Connie's unusually subdued aura.

"Of course."

He nodded and finally walked out of the room.

Levi sighed. "Well, I've got to go with Hanji too so I can start training those brats…so irritating…"

A small smile flitted across Taryn's lips. She knew that as much as Levi complained and moaned, he would take good care of them. He wouldn't want a repeat of what happened with his previous squad.

"I should get going too, or Anka will think I'm trying to sneak a drink and she'll have my head," Commander Pixis grumbled, raising himself off of his chair.

"Anka's a good subordinate. Be grateful, old man," Levi grunted, ushering the older Commander out of the room. "Take care, Erwin!" he called over his shoulder before shutting the door behind him.

After the door shut, Taryn felt like she couldn't move. She was looking at the door still, unable to turn around and look at the Commander. She could feel his gaze on her though.

"Miss Yeager?"

Said girl squeezed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath before turning around to face him.

"Yes, Commander?" she exhaled.

"Are you…alright?" he asked. Taryn was surprised to hear the hesitancy in his voice.

"Y-yes…I'm sorry for running out earlier…" she muttered.

"I apologize for upsetting you," he said softly.

Taryn shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. I guess I'm still struggling with losing…Luka… What you said just reminded me of him…and it hit me harder than I thought it would."

Luckily Taryn wasn't looking at Erwin, so she missed the fact that his lovely blue eyes tightened slightly at the name. But then they softened again, almost dejectedly.

"It will take some time, Miss Yeager."

"I know, sir."

They lapsed into silence.

"Well," Taryn began with a deep breath and a forced smile, "is there anything I can do for you sir? I know you have to stay in bed for at least a day more," she said with a wry grin, almost feeling the restlessness radiating from the man.

Erwin chuckled. "I don't know if there's anything you haven't done for me yet, Miss Yeager."

Taryn smiled genuinely. She was pleased to hear that the Commander appreciated her efforts to help him.

"Actually-" he began. Once again, hesitancy entered his voice, and Taryn was surprised to see a light layer of pink creep up his neck. Was the Commander blushing?

"-there is something you can do for me. Well for yourself really, but it will be a relief for me as well."

"Yes, sir?" Taryn asked, very curious about his request and confused at his apparent embarrassment.

"Captain Levi told me you've hardly gotten any sleep this past week, correct?"

She nodded, not entirely following his train of thought. Erwin blamed her sleep-deprived state for that.

"Well, I believe you need to rest for more than just three hours. There's no use in having a soldier who won't be able to see straight over the next few days."

The words seemed rough, but Taryn could hear the concern in his tone.

"Of course, sir," she said with a grateful smile. "Well, if you personally don't need anything else, then I'll rest for a bit."

She began to walk over to her small, uncomfortable couch when Erwin stopped her.

"Not there, Miss Yeager. Please come and… sleep here," he commanded, patting the vacant space beside him on the bed.

Taryn's jaw dropped.

"W-with you, Commander?" she squeaked nervously.

The blonde Commander raised a thick eyebrow at her words.

"I meant next to you!" she amended quickly.

Erwin cleared his throat gruffly.

"Yes. You need your rest and it's obvious you can't get any on that couch. Please don't argue, Taryn," he said quietly, interrupting her as she opened her mouth to protest.

Taryn didn't know how to react. Not only was the Commander's request quite shocking but his use of her first name did not go unnoticed by her. Names were important and she liked the way it sounded coming from his lips.

"Are you sure, sir?" she asked uncertainly.

He nodded and pulled back the sheet as if to prove his point. Taryn slowly walked to the open side of the bed and gingerly climbed in beneath the covers. She sighed in pleasure at the softness of the pillows and the warmth of the sheets. It was heaven compared to that damned couch.

When Erwin heard that sigh of relief, he knew he had made the right decision inviting her to sleep by him, regardless of the awkwardness of the situation.

"Thank you, Erwin," she murmured silently into her pillow. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. Erwin listened as her breathing slowed down. She was lying on her side, facing him. Her black hair was once again splayed all over her face. Erwin chuckled.

He reached his hand out and gently brushed strand of hair off of her eyes. It was so soft. He couldn't keep himself from entangling his fingers through the curls and stroking her hair. She unconsciously leaned into his touch, obviously enjoying the soothing ministrations. Her lips curled up happily in her sleep. Erwin felt a strange fluttering feeling in his chest again.

"You're welcome, Taryn," he said, softly smiling.

* * *

Far, far away from Wall Rose, too far away from civilization as Jean had so nicely put it, stood a troupe of Survey Corps soldiers, also known as Levi's new squad. The creation of this new squad brought back the bittersweet memories of the old one, but it also carried with it the promise of a brighter future.

There was a small log cabin situated in the center of a grove of trees, shielding it from the view of what would be prying eyes. Jean, Sasha and Armin were currently working on lugging in food and supplies from the wagon into the cabin. Judging by Sasha's complaints and Jean's frustration, it was quite tiring work.

As Jean stumbled into the cabin carrying with him a box of Sasha's favourite potatoes, he was immediately confronted by a very stressed Eren.

"Oi, Horseface! Did you wipe your shoes at the door before coming in?" he asked with narrowed eyes. Jean almost snorted in laughter when he caught sight of Eren. The boy seemed to be channeling his inner-Levi- he was wearing the Commander's traditional bandanas, one on his head, and one to cover his mouth, and carrying a broom.

"What? No of course not! Can't you see how much we're carrying?" he snapped back.

Eren's eyes widened dramatically. "Don't you understand? Do you think this will really fly past Captain Levi's attention?" he asked desperately. "You know, if I hadn't cleaned up your room for you this morning and made up your bed…"

"WHAT ARE YOU, MY MOTHER?" Jean yelped, mortified to know that Eren had been touching his clothes and snooping around his room. Had that brat found his secret sketch of Mikasa? Jean shuddered at the thought.

Before Eren could retort (or possibly shove his broom up Jean's ass), Mikasa burst into the house, carrying a whole load of chopped wood on her shoulders. Eren's jaw dropped.

"MIKASA? What the fuck are you doing out of bed…how did you sneak past me?" he sputtered.

"I was getting restless, Eren," she replied calmly, setting down her axe.

"But you shouldn't be moving around like that yet! You haven't fully healed!" he cried indignantly.

"If I don't move around, my skills will become dull," she said patiently.

Eren scowled. He shoved his broom into Armin's already full arms and rolled up his sleeves. After Mikasa had dropped the bundle of logs by the wall, he grabbed her hand and dragged her upstairs.

"Eren!" Mikasa cried in surprise.

"Oi! Don't touch her like that!" Jean snarled, getting ready to chase after the two, only to be held back by Sasha.

"Let them be, Jean…" she muttered, grabbing the potato box from him.

Eren stomped up the stairs, pulling Mikasa behind him. She stayed silent, not an unusual thing for her to do, while waiting for Eren to express his thoughts, not unusual for him to do. Finally, he gently nudged her into her room and shut the door behind them.

"On the bed, now," he demanded.

Mikasa's eyes widened and a blush immediately crept over her face. Eren caught the blush and stared at her in confusion for a few seconds before understanding the double meaning behind his words.

"Wha-no! Not in that way…geez, Mikasa," he exclaimed in embarrassment. His face was bright red and he refused to look at her. Mikasa obediently climbed into her bed and peered up at Eren expectantly.

"You need to rest," he said decisively, walking over to pull the blanket on the bed over her.

"But, Eren-!" she began to protest, only to feel Eren's warm hand clamp down over her mouth.

"No 'buts'. Both Taryn and mom would have my head if I let you wander around while injured. Chopping wood with fractured ribs…seriously?" he muttered under his breath.

Mikasa stared at him silently. "A-are you concerned about me?" she asked hesitantly.

If Eren's face had gone back to it's normal color before, it was bright red again.

"Well, o-of course, Mikasa! You're my family…"

Mikasa looked slightly disappointed.

"Just your family?" she asked quietly.

Eren ignored her and fluffed her pillow up for her. He then straightened up, ready to leave. Mikasa noticed him pause and look at her in an almost curious manner. The tips of his ears were red. The boy slowly raised his hand, extending a finger as if to caress her cheek.

"Eren," she breathed before she could stop herself.

Immediately, as if he had been burned, Eren hastily withdrew his hand and dropped it to his side.

"Get some rest," he grunted, turning around and leaving the room. The sound of the door shutting reverberated loudly in Mikasa's ears.

She didn't miss the way he clenched his hand into a fist on the way out.

* * *

Taryn yawned and stretched her hands out, moaning gratefully at the satisfying _pop_ that came from her shoulders. She was confused when the tips of her fingers brushed up against something very firm and warm. She noticed that her head was resting on something as equally firm that was definitely not a pillow.

Slightly disoriented, she turned her head to rest her chin on the steady, warm surface and blinked a few times, using her fingers to brush her bangs out from her eyes. A low chuckle sounded above her, rumbling through her chin.

"You move around a lot in your sleep," a deep voice said, its tone tinged with amusement.

Taryn's eyes widened and she sat up, scooting back quickly. Erwin was struggling to hold back a grin, his blue eyes dancing with laughter.

"You obviously had a good rest," he said good-naturedly while stretching his legs out a bit, experimentally flexing his toes. Taryn noticed this.

"Um…did I fall asleep on your lap, sir?" she asked warily.

He just smiled at her, his expression answering her question clearly. Taryn shut her eyes, wishing that the earth would just swallow her up right then and there.

"I am so sorry, sir," she said between gritted teeth, feeling her face heat up.

"It's fine, Miss Yeager. It's clear how much you needed the sleep. I also managed to keep myself occupied," he said, shifting his eyes to the piles of papers and books settled on his other side.

Taryn felt slightly disappointed that he had reverted back to calling her in the formal way he addressed most people, but she pushed aside the feeling to study the materials on the bed. A small journal caught her attention.

"May I see that?" she asked curiously, pointing to it.

Erwin nodded and handed it over to her. Taryn flipped through the journal, quickly skimming the writings.

" _Ilse's Journal_ ," she murmured under her breath, tracing the words beneath her fingers. "Where did you get this?"

"Hanji found it on one of our expeditions. She found it by the corpse of the soldier, Ilse."

"How tragic…" Taryn whispered sadly. He watched as she paused at end in surprise, only to flip through to a middle section and read it again, mouthing the words as her eyes swept across the page rapidly.

"Anything stand out to you?" he asked, studying her reaction curiously.

Taryn crossed her legs and set the journal in her lap, muttering under her breath as she continued flipping through it.

"Yes…but it can't be…well, maybe…" she muttered.

Erwin said nothing, waiting for her to speak when she was ready.

"Did Hanji ever read this?" she asked as she thumbed the fragile pages.

The Commander nodded.

"Did she ever mention anything to you that seemed important to her?"

"Not entirely," he replied, thinking back to Hanji's presentation of the journal. "She saw it more as an opportunity to study the titans- to try and gain an insight as to why they do what they do."

"Well, that makes sense. There's something very important though…something that just made sense to me," she breathed.

"What's that?"

"Can I keep this?" she asked, deliberately avoiding his question. The Commander sighed inwardly. He hoped she would tell him her discovery sooner than later.

"Sure."

She flashed him a brief smile, which quickly turned into a frown when she caught sight of the window.

"Wow, it's so dark! How long was I asleep for?"

"A little over ten hours," he said lightly. Taryn groaned in embarrassment.

"I was asleep on your legs for…ten hours?"

Erwin chuckled. "It's fine. You took care of me for a week. I think letting you sleep on my lap paid off a small amount of the debt I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything!" she exclaimed hurriedly.

"Well, in that case, I have to _hand_ it to you, at least you put my legs to use for something."

Taryn stared at the captain, unable to believe what she just heard. In fact, it was hard to see if he had intended the pun given his unreadable expression.

"Sir, did you just make a pu-"

"Miss Yeager, would you mind helping me clear all of this up? I'd like to stretch my legs and go down to the hall for dinner tonight," he declared a little to loudly.

"Um…sure, sir," she replied, moving quickly to pick up the papers and books, incredulity still etched clearly onto her face.

She missed the small, satisfied smirk that crossed his lips.

* * *

"Pull him out, now!" Armin yelled in alarm.

"I know, I kno- oh, look! His skin's peeled off!" Hanji squealed excitedly. She waved Moblit over. "Moblit, can you get a quick sketch of this before he heals?"

"Squad Leader, are you even human?" poor Moblit cried.

"Hurry, hurry, Moblit! Wah-! You can see his skull!"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THERE'S BLOOD COMING OUT! GET HIM OUT NOW!" Mikasa shrieked, tugging on Eren's body.

"AHH! But he's so tightly fused together with the titan! Oh my goodness! Do you think if we leave him in for longer, he'll turn into one? Can we try?" Hanji begged.

"Squad Leader!" Moblit shouted desperately again.

Before Hanji could reply, Mikasa's blade flashed out of nowhere, slicing Eren free from the titan's muscle sinew that had burnt into his flesh. "We need to get him back," she growled.

With the help of Hanji and Moblit, Eren was lifted up onto a wagon. Mikasa ran her fingers worriedly through his hair.

"Don't worry, he'll look just as handsome as before!" Hanji grinned nervously. Mikasa glared viciously at the older woman.

It didn't take them very long to get back to the safe house, where they immediately transferred Eren onto a bed. Mikasa hovered by his side, refusing to move for one second. After a time span of around twenty-four hours, Eren finally opened his newly healed eyes.

"How long have I been out for?" he rasped. Mikasa rushed to his side with a glass of water that he gratefully accepted.

"A whole day," Jean replied from his near the door that he was leaning against.

"A whole day…" Eren repeated in quiet astonishment.

"Eren, do you remember anything from any of the experiments?" Hanji asked eagerly as she flipped through the sketches that Moblit had actually completed, much to everyone's surprise (and to Mikasa's great fury).

Eren shook his head. "I-I don't remember…anything…did the hardening experiments work at all?"

Hanji shook her head sadly.

"I may be wrong in my hypothesis. It might be that just the skinless class titans can crystallize upon command, in order to make up for their lack of skin…" she admitted.

"Eren's having troubling hardening? Just put Mikasa in front of him…" Jean muttered bitterly.

Eren shot the boy an angry look. "No one asked for your opinion, horseface," he snarled.

"Yeah? Well, we need you to be able to crystallize so that we can plug up the hole in the Wall…but obviously if you can't do that, then you're just useless!" Jean retorted.

As Eren opened his mouth to snap back at Jean, Hanji interrupted them, hoping to put off a potential fight.

"Not all's lost! At least we now know that Eren doesn't posses those powers, so we can concentrate our efforts on something else!"

"Yeah…fat lot of good that'll do for us…" Jean grumbled.

"Well, we should start looking into that Wall Cult. Hopefully when Erwin goes to the capital, he can get some more information from there."

"Why doesn't he just scare the information out of them? You know, flash his blades a little?" Eren asked hopefully.

Hanji shook her head.

"One thing you need to know about the Commander is that he fights with his words, not his swords."

* * *

Erwin had just pulling on his coat when Taryn walked into the room. She was fully dressed and ready to go. A brand new book bag lay across her shoulder and chest, filled with the books and papers Erwin had read to keep himself busy during his recovery.

"Did you send the note?" he asked her as he stood up.

She nodded, slightly breathless, and adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you to the capital, sir?" she asked.

Erwin shook his head. "I won't be needing your assistance this time, Miss Yeager."

Taryn looked down, feeling slightly guilty, assuming that he wasn't letting her go because of her last (literal) run-in with government officials. Erwin seemed to sense that. He walked up to her and placed a finger softly under her chin, tilting her face to look up at his. Her eyes widened dramatically as blue met brown. He felt slightly pleased when he heard her breath hitch in her throat.

"This isn't because of what happened last time. It's merely a safety precaution I'm taking on your behalf. I'll be travelling with the Commander of the Military Police, Nile Dawk, and I would rather not have you two in close proximity," he explained gently.

She nodded quickly, not understanding why her throat had gone dry. _And why is his face so close to mine_? she thought frantically. _Why is his face so stupidly good-looking? ACK! Stop, Taryn. Stop right there. Too close._

He stared at her, his eyes roving over her features for a few seconds, before he dropped his hand and gave her a quick smile.

"You'll be in the library, correct?"

She nodded, trying to will her thoughts away from her Commander's strong jawline.

"There's some more stuff I'd like to go through," she said, patting the book bag resting at her hip.

"I'll be back by nightfall," he promised.

Taryn watched with a slightly forlorn expression as the Commander left the room, walking confidently out to the carriage awaiting him.

* * *

Levi, Hanji, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Krista, Sasha, Connie and a few other Survey Corps cadets stood atop a tall hill, bathed in the darkness of the night. They watched, aghast, as Military Police members stormed the safe house they had vacated not even an hour before.

"How did the Commander know about this?" Armin whispered harshly.

Levi shook his head. He had stopped trying to figure out how the blonde man was always a few steps ahead of everyone else. It had become easier to just accept things for the way they were and listen to his commands.

"What would've happened if we had stayed just a bit longer?" Connie wondered.

"I don't want to know," Sasha replied, clutching her stomach queasily.

"Well, let's get a move on to the meeting place. Luckily we have the moon out tonight," Levi declared, turning around to lead the group away.

None of them noticed the shadow that moved swiftly amongst the trees, studying the soldiers that raided the safe house, its mouth snarling with malice.

* * *

Taryn sighed and face planted tiredly into the book sitting before her. Even as an avid reader, there were only so many words she could process in a four-hour period of non-stop reading. Her hand was also starting to cramp up from all the notes she had been taking. She wistfully thought of the notebook she had owned back as a cadet, wishing she had it with her at the moment…who knows where it actually landed up. At least she still had that strategy book in her jacket pocket.

It might not have had a lot of useful information for her at this time, but she supposed that it didn't matter. The book served more as a beacon of comfort and protection for her, and quite honestly, she'd rather have that than information.

"Where is he?" she muttered to herself, looking out the window. It was already dark outside and the Commander still hadn't returned.

Suddenly, the doors of the library slammed open, causing Taryn to jump up from her seat. She highly doubted it was the Commander returning, unless he had somehow developed a flair for the dramatic on the ride back to this building.

Several Military Police stomped across the marble floors, bee-lining straight towards her. The rough soles of their boots echoed harshly through the library, shattering the peaceful quiet that had filled it before.

"Taryn Yeager?" one of them asked in a gravelly voice.

"Yes?" she answered in what he hoped wasn't a small voice.

The soldier marched straight up to her and grabbed her hands, roughly pinning them behind her back and cuffing her wrists together.

"What is this? What are you doing?" she exclaimed indignantly.

"Taryn Yeager, you are under arrest for the murder of Military Police members. You will be tried and given a sentence by sunrise."

Taryn struggled in the man's grasp, barely able to comprehend his words.

"Sentenced?" she gasped. "You're speaking as if I'm already guilty! I never murdered anyone!"

"I highly doubt we'll have any problem proving your guilt," he sneered nastily.

"But I've been here the entire time!" she protested.

"Shut up," he scoffed, shoving her forward.

"I haven't left this library, I swear!" she pleaded. All the soldiers were deaf to her cries as they dragged her out to a carriage, throwing her in.

"Take her to the courthouse," the man who arrested her commanded the driver.

 _The fucking courthouse? Again?_ she thought with a mental groan. Why did the courthouse seem to be a place she was thrown in quite often?

* * *

"Commander! Urgent news!" a young cadet huffed as he ran into the room.

Erwin looked up from his chair, taking the boy's flushed face and the light layer of sweat that covered his forehead.

"Can it wait?" he asked. The boy shook his head. Erwin sighed, slightly frustrated. They were so close to finishing off…He glanced outside quickly and saw how dark it was. He hoped Taryn wouldn't get too annoyed if he came back late. The corners of Erwin's lips twitched upwards as he imagined the way she would grumble at his lateness and roll her eyes in exasperation.

"Excuse me for a moment, please," he said to the officials seated in front of him. They eyed him suspiciously but nodded.

Erwin walked outside the room with the boy.

"What is it?" he asked.

"There's been an arrest," the boy panted.

"An arrest? Whose arrest?" Erwin urged.

"Taryn Yeager."

Erwin's eyes hardened.

"Tell me everything."

* * *

Taryn sat in front of a council composed of, in her opinion, old, fat men who more resembled pigs than humans.

"Miss Yeager. How do you plead to the charge of the murder of several Military Police members that took place earlier tonight?" the main councilman asked.

It hadn't escaped Taryn's notice that there wasn't an official judge overseeing her case. She immediately understood that he probably wasn't even aware of it. No wonder they were carrying out this hearing during the night.

 _Fucking cowards…blitzing me at night when they know the Commander isn't there_ , she thought viciously.

"Not guilty, sir. I have been in the library all day and-"

"Quiet! I only asked for a simple answer. No one wants to hear your pitiful blathering," the man snapped.

Taryn bit her lip in order to keep herself from shouting at him in anger. She needed to think fast.

"What evidence led you to believe that I'm the murderer?" she asked angrily.

"A witness account," he said smugly.

"What witness?" she asked in confusion. Obviously this "witness" was lying…

"Jeremy, please come in," the man called out. Taryn watched as a spindly, young man stepped out of the shadows. He had a nasty gash above his eye and his right arm was bandaged tightly.

"Please tell the rest of the council what you saw."

The man named Jeremy nodded and stepped forward to give his account.

"I, as a Military Police officer, went along with a few other from my squad, to make an…an _arrest_ within the forest," he began, his voice wavering slightly. The council members nodded, encouraging him to continue. "We were raiding the criminal's residence when all of a sudden, we heard a voice yelling outside. Then it stopped and it was…silent. Before we knew it, titans began to swarm all over the house. It was a-a blood bath. I barely escaped with my life…" he said, taking in a shuddering breath.

"How does that have anything to do with me?" Taryn cried.

"Be quiet!" the main councilman shouted irately. Taryn quieted down, not because of his command, but rather because she would get nowhere if she kept shouting. "Continue, please, Jeremy."

Jeremy nodded.

"As I was running out…I saw…a-a female. She was standing in front of one of the trees, watching the entire blood bath. When one of the titans came to grab me, she shouted something at it…and…and it-it stopped. And then, she said something else and all the titans retreated…just like that," he finished with a fearful whisper.

"Thank you, Jeremy. There you've heard it, my esteemed members of the council. Someone was controlling titans to kill Military Police."

Taryn glared daggers at the boy named Jeremy.

"There's no way that was me? How the hell was I supposed to get from here to wherever he was in a few hours? Also, why haven't you questioned what they were doing in the forest at the dead of night?" she objected.

"Shut your mouth," the man snarled before turning back to the other members. "No one else has the power to control titans besides Taryn Yeager. Additionally, it's well known that as a member of the Survey Corps, she has had a grudge against Military Police members from day one. This is obviously a method she's using in order to get rid of all the Military Police, one by one," he concluded nastily.

Taryn couldn't even retaliate. The ideas he was suggesting were so ludicrous that she was rendered speechless.

"Don't I get the right to defend myself?" she inquired, finally finding her voice.

"You have no need for defense. We've caught you red-handed, Yeager," the man said with a disgustingly, smug grin. He looked at the members.

"All in favour of the execution of Taryn Yeager?"

Taryn felt her stomach tighten as all of the members raised their hands. One of them even grinned at her evilly and said, "It would do us some good to get rid of titan-filth like her. Now only her brother is left."

Red. That was all that Taryn could see at the moment. Pure red rage. She wasn't even scared at this point. She was just. Fucking. Angry.

"Put her in the carriage and take her to the alley. Dispose of her there," the man commanded arrogantly.

Two Military Police soldiers nodded and grabbed hold of her, pulling her to her feet from her kneeling position.

"You fucking cowards!" she spat before she was dragged out the door.

The men watched in sadistic amusement as she kicked and screamed while being dragged out of the council room. Finally when the door shut, the main councilman clapped his hands together gleefully.

"Now then, to move onto the plan of dealing with the titan boy…"

* * *

"Let me go, please," Taryn begged as the soldiers tossed her into the waiting carriage.

"Gag her," one ordered to the other. "If she makes too much noise, people will wake up and start asking questions." The other nodded and grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket, gagging her with it. Taryn choked on the feel of the dry cotton that swept against the back of her throat.

"Get up front and let's get going."

One soldier jumped into the front and lightly tapped the horse drawing the carriage, urging it to move forward. The other soldier sat inside the carriage with Taryn, monitoring her every move.

* * *

Erwin rushed to the council room, blood pounding in his ears. He could hear the gross laughter of men behind the door and the sound only fueled his anger further. If he hadn't developed a flair for the dramatic before, he sure had now. Taryn would be proud. With a powerful push, Erwin slammed the council doors open, causing all the portly men inside to jump up in fear and surprise. If he hadn't been so angry and worried, then their expressions would have been quite satisfying for him.

"Ah, Commander Erwin," the main man said in an oily voice. "What can I do for you?"

"Cut the bullshit, Fleischer," he growled. "Where is Taryn Yeager?"

The man named Fleischer put on a falsely surprised expression. "Oh? The Yeager girl? I have no idea what you mean, Commander!" The hint of a smirk lay on his sausage like lips.

With one swift movement, Erwin had pulled out his 3DMG blade and had it pressed against the soft skin of Fleischer's neck. He noticed, with disgust, how it sunk easily into the flesh, the tip almost getting enveloped by the man's fat. The other council members were frozen in fear. Corrupt as they may be, everyone knew the power of Commander Erwin Smith, even if he only did have one arm. With no Military Police to currently protect them, none of them dared to movie, too scared to incur the Commander's wrath.

Fleischer's haughty expression quickly melted into one of panic.

"I wonder, Fleischer, what your innards would look like if I sliced you open from here," he dug the tip deeper into the man's neck, "to here," he purred as he ran the blade down to the man's overstuffed stomach, stopping right above his bellybutton.

* * *

As Hanji walked with the group, a sudden feeling of unease came over her. She clamped her hand to her chest to feel her heart beating like mad.

"Is something wrong, Squad Leader?" Eren asked in concern.

"I-I'm not sure…I feel like I was just…just proven wrong about something," she muttered, slightly distressed.

"Tch…as long as you're not wrong about the direction we're going in, then we're fine, Shitty Glasses," Levi snorted. "Keep moving."

* * *

"N-Now, Erwin," Fleischer stuttered. "We don't want to do anything too r-rash, right?"

Erwin's eyes gleamed predatorily in the dim light of the room.

"I don't know, Councilman. You tell me? Are you going to let me know where Taryn Yeager is?"

Fleischer gulped nervously.

* * *

The ride in the carriage wasn't a smooth one. The cobblestoned streets were bumpy and they caused Taryn to bounce off her seat every few seconds. Every time this happened, the handkerchief in her mouth would fall further down her throat, causing her eyes to tear up as she desperately gagged on the dry material. She whined pleadingly, mentally begging the soldier across from her to remove the gag. He remained steadfast, not even sparing a glance at her.

"How much longer, Credell?" he called to the soldier driving the carriage.

Suddenly, the carriage shuddered as if violently hit by something. Taryn was thrown off her seat into the lap of the soldier. He yelped and shoved her off of him, shooting venomous looks at her. She glared at him as if to say, _it wasn't my fault_.

"What's going on out there, Credell?" he asked loudly. No one answered. The soldier frowned.

"Credell?"

"Oh shut your fucking trap," a low voice growled. Before the soldier could react, someone swung into the carriage, using a knife to slit the man's throat quickly.

Taryn cried out from her spot on the floor, fearfully looking up at the new intruder. The bottom half of his face was covered with a black bandana, hiding his features from her eyes.

"Well, 'ullo there, love. Just give me one second to get rid of this guy, eh?" he said in a cheerful voice. Taryn was just sat frozen in fear, her breath coming out quickly through her nose.

With a heavy grunt, the intruder grabbed the soldier's lifeless body, opened the carriage door, and threw the body out onto the streets.

"Bloody fucker," the intruder grumbled, shutting the door and dusting his hands together. He was dressed from head to toe in black, causing him to almost blend into the darkness of the carriage. He reached a hand out to Taryn, the latter of which curled up and flinched out from his reach, whimpering slightly.

"Aw, come now sweetheart. I won't hurt you," he said soothingly. Taryn didn't trust a word that came out of his mouth. He seemed to understand that. "Okay," he sighed. "I won't hurt you… _yet_ …"

Taryn quickly turned her face away.

"Listen sweetheart. Let's make an agreement. I'll take that gag out, if you promise not to scream, yeah?" he cooed.

Taryn thought about it before slowly nodding. She had every intention to scream the minute he removed the gag. But then she caught sight of the knife he still had clutched in his had. It was still covered in the blood of the Military Police soldier. He noticed her gaze on the knife and his eyes lit up.

"Yeah…I really would recommend that you don't scream. Got it?" Taryn blinked. He gently reached down and pulled the cloth from her mouth. The minute it was out, she began to cough roughly and greedily gasp for air. The man patted her on the back.

"There's a good girl," he murmured. He then twisted around in his seat and produced a flask from his hip. He offered it to her.

"Want water?"

She eyed the flask with suspicion. The man laughed.

"Don't worry, darling. We can't kill you now. If I needed to, you would have been dead already."

Taryn could see the logic in that, plus her throat was really dry and aching. She gratefully accepted the water as he pressed the opening of the flask to her lips. The cool water felt like heaven. She shook her head to let him know that she was done.

With a nod of his head, he pulled back the flask and reattached it to his hip. Then, the man stuck his head out of the carriage door's window.

"Oi, Adrian! You change course yet?" A confirmatory grunt came from the front. "Good," the man muttered, pulling his head back into the carriage.

"Well then, time for introductions, I presume?" he said happily. Taryn watched with wary eyes as he untied his bandana and let it drop from his face. Moonlight flooded the carriage at that moment, letting her see his features.

Taryn felt like someone had knocked the wind out of her.

Hazel eyes gleamed brightly in the moonlight, while messy black hair shifted in the breeze.

"-…L-Luka?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** You guys are the sole reason I write. Seriously. Your reviews put a smile on my face that I can't get rid of for the rest of the day. Sorry for the slow update! Applying for grad school while writing six research papers is no walk in the park…

Here's a quick heads up to warn that there will be _graphic torture_ in this chapter. The part about identifying a concussion is derived from info by WebMD (totally reliable, right? *heavy sarcasm*) and my own past experience of having a concussion.

As per usual, beware of **spoilers**. It's up to your discretion to read.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Ten: When Blood is Spilled

 _"Don't ask me, what you know is true,  
_ _Don't have to tell you, I love your precious heart.  
_ _I was standing, you were there,  
_ _Two worlds collided,  
And they could never tear us apart."_

 _(Never Tear us Apart- Paloma Faith)_

* * *

As Levi, Hanji and the younger soldiers walked through Trost District, everyone on the streets stared at them. It was extremely unnerving. Although he didn't show it, Levi felt quite unsettled.

"Hey! Aren't you Levi? From the Survey Corp?" a middle-aged man called out from the side. That's all it took for a small crowd to form around Levi.

"He's pretty short for Humanity's Strongest soldier, yeah?"

"Hey, Levi. Why are the titans attacking over and over again?"

" _Mr. Captain! What can we do about the high taxes being forced on us because of you guys?"_

"Idiot! The Survey Corps is doing jack-shit!"

Levi sighed heavily, doing his best to ignore everyone's questions and statements. He was starting to feel claustrophobic as the townspeople kept crowding around him.

A small movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A very old woman carrying a young child was glaring at him. He could feel the hatred radiating off of her. But it was her body language that he found suspicious. She seemed ready for…something. Immediately, Levi was on his guard.

So…it was going to happen now, was it? He silently thanked Erwin for the heads up. First the raid of their safe house and now this. Was the blonde Commander a fortuneteller or something? Levi took a deep breath, preparing himself for the inevitable.

"WATCH OUT FOR THE WAGON!" someone yelled.

 _Now._

Just like the person said, a large wagon ran rampant through the center of the street, wreaking havoc on everything around it, even knocking down a few people. Someone pulled Levi to the side, out from the wagon's path.

" _Grab them!"_ a man on the wagon yelled to his companions. Immediately, two pairs of arms shot out and grabbed two of Levi's soldiers- Eren and Krista. Yet, Levi didn't panic.

"Arm-I mean Krista and Eren!" Sasha cried out.

Levi smirked.

"Just like Erwin said…" he muttered under his breath. "Now for part two."

* * *

Eren and Krista sat in a small room. Eren was seated on a small mattress shoved into the corner of the room while Krista was patiently sitting on a chair near a window.

"How is this going to work?" Eren asked in frustration, holding his head in his hands. He was getting a headache and it just wouldn't go away.

"It'll be fine," Krista said quietly.

Eren turned to look at her, wincing when a shot of pain ran through his head.

"How? That guy doesn't look anything like me! I don't have a horseface like him! If those guys find out about this…Armin and Jean will be in big trouble…"

"Eren, we've got to trust them! Armin is smart and Jean is strong. They'll be fine." She got up and walked over to him, kneeling down in front of him. "Right now, we need to concentrate on ourselves. Your head is hurting isn't it?" she asked.

Eren was slightly surprised at her astuteness. He nodded gingerly, hoping to avoid more pain.

"Why do you think that is?"

Eren didn't know, but it concerned him. This wasn't just any normal headache. It was accompanied by random strings of words and images. He had seen a familiar girl gagged and bound in what looked like a carriage. He heard the words, _murder_ and _I won't hurt you yet_.

And finally, his own sister's voice rang clearly through his head with a single word. A word that carried so much confusion hurt and shock in it. _Luka_.

"I-I think it's Taryn," he posited.

Krista wrinkled her nose. "Your sister?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah… I think something's wrong with her…" Eren felt anxious. He hoped his sister was okay.

* * *

Erwin made his way to the alley where Taryn was to be executed as quickly as he could. As he ran there, too many thoughts assaulted his mind.

 _Why is everyone so intent on killing or kidnapping the Yeagers?_ he thought in frustration. He knew the answer as well, but it didn't help.

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost tripped over a large lump in the middle of the street. Erwin stopped to study the obstruction.

"Oh no," he whispered, his heart caught in his throat. The insignia on the dead man's jacket clearly showed that he was Military Police. The soldier who had been taking Taryn to her execution…and yet, here he was, dead on the road. How ironic. Erwin looked around, surveying his surroundings. A few feet away from this body lay another. He must have been the carriage driver. It was a clear ambush. Yet, something looked off about this picture.

 _Someone else took Taryn…but whom?_ he thought desperately. Could it have been the same people who intended on kidnapping Eren and Krista? But it couldn't be… Erwin had only heard about plans to kidnap those two…not Taryn. So who wanted her and why? He had a few ideas but none of them made any sense.

As his eyes blankly studied the crime, he noticed something.

Suddenly it hit him. The reason this scene looked strange was because the soldiers were missing their 3DMG gear. So whoever took Taryn took the gear as well. Well, at least that narrowed it down somewhat. There were many civilians who wanted the gear, mainly because it would sell for so much.

Hell, even Levi had used it before he joined the Corps…in the Underworld. Wait. Levi might know something!

"Taryn, where are you?" he murmured out loud. Erwin knew what he had to do to find her.

He needed to go to Trost to find Eren and Levi.

* * *

Taryn slowly shifted her body. A sharp flash of pain ran through her head. She felt incredibly groggy. She tried as hard as she could to open her eyes. After blinking a few times, she managed to keep her eyes open.

Everything was so blurry. The room was spinning.

"Aw, you're finally awake, beautiful," a warm voice hummed.

Taryn groaned and willed her vision to stay still. It didn't listen. She felt like throwing up.

"E-Erwin…" she whined.

"Sorry love, but whoever that guy is, he isn't here for ya!"

Taryn felt a light finger trace her jaw as a large shadow fell in front of her.

"I'm the only guy you'll be calling for from now on, got it?" he purred in her ear. Taryn shuddered. That voice…it sounded so familiar.

Memories from earlier flooded her mind. She tried to move her hands only to discover that she had been restrained. A thick rope bound her arms behind her back.

"Why am I tied up?" she asked, gagging slightly at how dry her mouth was.

"Tsk, tsk. Looks like you're thirsty, right sweetheart?" the man asked. Taryn peered up at him through hooded eyes. His face was hidden by shadows that flickered around in the room.

Even the dim light of the room she was in was enough to make her head hurt. Obviously, he had knocked her out in the carriage, and she was willing to bet that she was currently sporting an impressive bump on her forehead beneath her bangs.

She nodded carefully, trying to avoid sending any more pain through her tender skull.

"Well, since you're behaving yourself so well…" he drawled. A little later, she felt him press the mouth of a flask to her lips. "Open up," he whispered soothingly. She complied, opening up her mouth and gratefully accepting the cool flow of water. He let her have her fill before taking the flask away from her.

"You'd better savour that, love. You won't be getting water for a very long time." As he spoke, Taryn watched in despair as he emptied the remaining contents of the flask onto the ground in front of her. Precious water…being wasted right before her eyes. The man chuckled sadistically.

"Who are you?" she asked tiredly.

"I don't think you know me, darling, but you did call me something quite fascinating in the carriage earlier," he said with interest. He stepped out of the shadows and squatted down in front of her, grinning from ear to ear.

Now Taryn could remember. The hazel eyes. The black hair.

"You can't be Luka," she whispered, trying to convince herself more than the man.

He reached out a hand and cupped her cheek with it, those hazel eyes boring into hers.

"You'd be right about that, love. Although, now that you mention it, I do know a Luka. Luka Weber, right?" he asked quietly.

Taryn felt her throat tighten at the name. She nodded. The man sighed at her response, rubbing his thumb on her cheekbone.

"I guess I do look like him. Everyone in the village thought we were twins when we were younger," he laughed lightly, remembering his past.

"Twins?" Taryn gasped.

The man eyes flickered across her face. "Luka Weber is my younger brother. I'm Ivan Weber."

Taryn gaped at him. It was true. They looked eerily alike, but now that she could see him up close, she noticed the subtle differences. He had a small beauty spot on his chin whereas Luka's skin had been blemish free. Ivan's nose was perfectly straight unlike Luka's slightly crooked nose, which Taryn had thought to be adorable. Ivan was also slightly taller and more slender than Luka. Other than that though, they could have been twins, down to the faint golden flecks in their hazel eyes and their cheerful voices. Although, Ivan's was more of a cruel mockery of Luka's voice…it was warm like her lover's had been, but it was also filled with malice.

"But…but Luka said all his siblings had been killed by the titans," she blurted out in shock.

Ivan frowned thoughtfully. "I guess that makes sense. To be honest, I didn't even know he had escaped the titans back then until you mentioned his name. I thought I was the only survivor. True, I was originally left for dead…but then…someone saved me. I owe him my life until today," he explained.

"Well, why did you kidnap me?" she growled.

Ivan smirked cruelly.

"I do what I'm told to do. Moving on, what's your relationship with my brother?" he asked curiously.

Taryn felt a faint heat creep up to her cheeks.

"H-he was my friend. We trained as cadets together and then joined the Survey Corps together," she whispered quietly. The boy's face flashed through her mind. His bright smile. Those soft kisses. Those warm, gentle whispers of " _I love you_ "…

Ivan caught something in her statement.

"Was?" he asked.

Almost immediately, Taryn lowered her head, hurt taking over her features. Although she didn't want to talk to her captor for any more time, he was still Luka's brother. She felt an obligation to let him know what happened to his only-remaining family member.

"He was killed on a mission a few months ago," she said quietly.

Ivan didn't say anything, but Taryn did see his hand tighten into a fist.

"How?"

Taryn's shoulders slumped as she remembered his death. "The female titan. She crushed him."

Ivan took a deep breath. "Serves him right. That's what he gets for being a wuss and joining the military," he muttered.

Taryn snapped her head up, ignoring the way her head protested in pain.

"What? A wuss? He was brave! He fought the titans face to face and didn't hide like the cockroach you are!" she shouted.

"Cockroach, huh?" Ivan grinned coldly. He leaned his face close to hers, his breath warm against her cheek. "I've been called worse, love," he whispered. Taryn shivered as his lips just barely brushed her earlobe. He chuckled.

"You're nothing like him…" she said between gritted teeth.

"You're right. I'm a lot better," he sneered.

Taryn couldn't understand Ivan. If she had heard that Eren was killed, she would have been bawling her eyes out, yet here he was, not even batting an eye at the tragic news of his dead brother.

"What do you want with me, Ivan?" she huffed.

"Now, now. Aren't you an eager Yeager?" he grinned.

Taryn just glared at him.

"You're here to answer some questions for us," Ivan explained, walking around the room casually.

"Us?"

He glanced at her. "Yes, it's more than just me. Speaking of which, why don't you wait here for a few minutes? I need to tell the boss you're awake."

Ivan turned and walked out of the room, locking the door behind him.

Even though she was still dizzy, Taryn immediately struggled to loosen the ropes on her wrist. No luck. They were quite tight. She looked around, searching for anything that would help her escape. Nothing.

With a grunt of frustration, she fell back against the wall. Something sharp pierced her palm, causing her to cry out in pain.

"What was that?" she cried. Turning around, she saw something shiny sticking out from between the bricks in the wall. A rogue nail. How convenient. With no time to waste, Taryn began to rub the ropes that bound her wrists against the tip of the nail. It was slow work, but it was her only chance.

True to his word, Ivan was back not long after. Taryn slowed down her movements, still rubbing the rope against the nail, but in such a way that her actions wouldn't noticeable. She could feel the ropes beginning to give, but it still wasn't enough yet.

"Ah, you didn't move! Good girl," he smiled as he shut the door behind him. Taryn noticed that he was carrying a small, leather bag with him. "Now for your reward," he leered, setting the bag on a barrel standing nearby. Ivan opened the bag and began taking some objects out of it. Taryn felt herself grow numb when she realized what those objects were. A hammer. A knife. A saw. Other sharp-objects that she couldn't even begin to name.

With fear running through her, Taryn began to work at cutting the rope quicker. Luckily, Ivan's back was turned to her, so she could move a little faster without him noticing.

"Now, Taryn Yeager," he crowed from his spot, "why don't you answer this question for me. Where is the key for your basement in Shiganshina District?"

Taryn stopped for a second, surprised by the question. Key? What key? Then she realized. The key her father had given Eren. The key to the basement that neither of them were allowed to go into.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she spat, continuing to work on cutting her ropes.

"I had a feeling you'd say that, love," Ivan sighed in mock disappointment. He spun around and began walking towards her, a small knife in hand. Taryn blanched in fear.

"I guess I'll just have to coax it out of you in other ways," he purred, crouching down and lightly skimming the blade against her throat. Taryn flinched at the feeling of cool metal against her skin. "So sad…I didn't really want to mar such a pretty face," he murmured.

"You won't get the chance to anyways," she growled before freeing her hands from her restraints. She thanked her lucky stars that the rope had given at the last second, allowing her to wrench her bound wrists apart. Using the fact that he was surprised to her advantage, Taryn swung her foot out and knocked his legs out from under him, causing the man to crash to the floor. She would have thanked Annie for teaching her that move if the girl hadn't killed her boyfriend.

"Die in hell, you fucker," she hissed before running to the door. She grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open, ready to escape when- crash! Taryn ran into something solid and bounced off of it, falling to the floor.

"Weber, did you really let a little girl get the best of you?" a calm voice asked, it's tone tinged with disgust.

Taryn rubbed her forehead, wincing at the pain, before looking up to see the person she had run into.

He was tall and very well built. Wearing only a pair of loose-fitting pants, the man was extremely muscular and lithe. He had long blonde hair and a matching beard. His dark brown eyes almost matched her own, yet his were covered by circular glasses. He reminded her of her own father, Grisha Yeager, for some reason…maybe it was the glasses? Her eyes continued to rove over his figure, collecting as much information as she could. A large, ugly scar ran up his left arm, covering it until his elbow.

 _Who the hell is this_? she wondered in despair.

"Sorry, Miss Yeager, but I can't let you go," the man sighed, his voice almost sounding regretful. Before she could register anything other than his fist flying towards her face, darkness took over.

* * *

Erwin rushed through the empty streets on his horse, his thoughts moving faster than his steed could. Getting to Trost was taking far too long, but now that he was already half way there, he couldn't give up.

Surely, Levi had received his note and was well aware of the kidnapping scheme that was going to happen. He trusted Levi to keep Eren and Krista away from any real harm.

* * *

Armin squirmed against his restraints, a small bead of sweat running down his face from under the long, blonde haired wig he was wearing. It was slightly humiliating that he apparently looked feminine enough to pass off as Krista, but Eren had just patted his back and told him that he was helping humanity.

Jean, on the other hand, was furious that he had to pose as Eren once again. So was Eren. He didn't have a horse face after all.

"Look at you…so pretty," a large man rasped as he walked to stand behind Armin's chair. Armin shuddered as the man wrapped an arm around his chest. He squeaked in panic, fearing that the man would notice his lack of certain… _assets_ …and catch them. But surprisingly enough, the man didn't seem to notice anything strange about Armin's very flat chest. "Let me hear your cute voice," the man crooned, cupping Armin's jaw in his other hand. The blonde boy grimaced and tried to turn his face away, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes.

Jean looked away, unwilling to watch his fellow comrade get assaulted right before his eyes…It was so wrong in so many ways.

Suddenly, he heard something that resembled a figure whooshing through the air. That was exactly what it was. Mikasa's foot came out of nowhere and kicked the man in the face with enough force to knock a tooth out.

Armin looked visibly relieved as the man's assault on him had ended.

"You alright?" Jean asked quietly. Armin nodded.

Levi flew down from the roof and landed neatly next to Mikasa.

"We need to keep you guys in the ropes, okay? The plan is almost done. Don't worry, we'll have our eyes on you," he quickly explained to the two body-doubles.

Just as he and Mikasa had jumped up to hide amongst the rafters of the roof, the doors of the warehouse opened to admit three men. The one in the front was obviously the leader judging by his large girth and arrogant expression.

They glanced at the captives, only to do a double take.

"Hm? Where's the guard?" the leader wheezed, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Something was very off.

Before either of his companions could respond, a rustling sound came from above. The men looked up, only to be knocked in the face with the soles of three pairs of boots.

"Tch…that wasn't too hard," Levi grimaced as he wiped some blood off of the bottom of his boot, his face reflecting the disgust at the mess.

Within minutes, all the guards had been knocked out. They lay on the floor neatly tied up and laid out (much to Levi's insistence and Mikasa's irritation). The only one who was conscious was the leader. He had also been tied up and was now seated against a wooden box, watching everything with those beady eyes, sweat causing his bald head to glisten brightly.

Levi and Mikasa walked up to the man, eyeing him dangerously. The man quaked under the cold glares he was getting from the twin, grey eyes.

"Please don't harm me! I'm innocent! Just the chauffeur who was forced to help these bad people!" he pleaded, tears pricking the corner of his eyes.

Mikasa and Levi shared a look of exasperation.

"We heard them calling you the President around town…" Mikasa began.

"…so don't insult our intelligence, please," Levi finished, his nose wrinkled in distaste.

The leader's forlorn expression quickly turned into a scowl, angry that his act had been seen through.

"Let's take you somewhere else to talk, yeah?" Levi went to pull the man up before handing him over Mikasa. He heard loud whimpers and muffled protests coming from behind him. The man who had been guarding Jean and Armin earlier was wide-awake, struggling furiously against his constraints.

"Oi, Armin. Fix his gags," Levi commanded.

The blonde nodded and walked over to the man, kneeling down in front of him. He untied the man's gag in order to retie it properly. When the gag was off though, the man began speaking.

"You know…" he grunted to Armin, "I heard a few of the guys say that you're a boy…"

Armin froze.

The man chuckled morosely. "I…I used to be normal. Look what you've done to me," he growled, his eyes fixed on Armin. The blonde boy shuddered at the look of lust and anger that had filled the man's eyes. "Do something about it, boy," the man whispered.

Jean, who had been standing nearby, heard the man and felt bile rise up his throat. Even when tied down and restrained, this man was still going to torture Armin? Not on his watch. Not again. He quickly walked over to the frozen boy and gently touched his shoulder.

"Armin…I'll take care of this," he murmured, pulling the boy away from the sad excuse of a human being. Armin allowed himself to be tugged away from the man, grateful for Jean's intervention.

* * *

Taryn woke up, only to find herself trapped once again. Her head hurt like a motherfucker. She wouldn't be surprised if she had a serious concussion at this point, what with the amount of blows to her head she had received. Her senses felt curiously numbed as well.

She woozily tried to think about what her father would say about her condition. He had been a doctor. She had wanted to be just like him.

 _"_ _Dad! Daddy! Look! Eren got hurt and I fixed it for him!" a young Taryn cried excitedly, running up to Grisha Yeager with a large smile on her face and a five-year old teary-eyed Eren in tow._

 _Grisha, who had been sitting at his study table looking through some papers, tore his eyes away from his work to look at his daughter and son._

 _"_ _Oh really? What happened?" he asked curiously. He knew of his daughter's desire to follow in his footsteps. That's why he took her on many of the house calls he went on. She was exceedingly quick in learning and had no problem with blood._

 _"_ _Show him, Eren!" she whispered loudly, tugging the little boy forward. He stumbled over his own chubby little legs and timidly walked up to Grisha who immediately scooped the boy into his arms, seating him on his knee._

 _"_ _What happened, Eren?" Grisha asked, taking into account the little boy's tear streaked face. He sniffled loudly and showed his father his finger._

 _Grisha studied the pudgy finger and couldn't stop a small smile from spreading on his face. His children were too amusing._

 _"_ _He got a cut when we were playing outside and I fixed it!" Taryn crowed happily._

 _Grisha had to admit that he was impressed with the way his daughter had neatly taped up his son's finger, even if it was just a little cut. He pressed a quick kiss to the tiny finger in front of his face. That apparently wasn't enough to appease little Eren._

 _"_ _You did a wonderful job, Taryn," he said graciously. Taryn's eyes glowed at her father's praise and she quickly ran up to him to scramble up on his other knee and give him a hug._

 _"_ _But daddy! Taryn tripped me!" Eren whined, before sniffling and rubbing his green eyes with a fat wrist._

 _Grisha cocked an eyebrow at his daughter. "Taryn?" he asked in a stern voice. She looked at him with the large, innocent brown eyes that belonged to his wife, Carla._

 _"_ _Not on purpose, daddy!" she said quickly._

 _The doctor sighed in amusement. What was he going to do with his children?_

 _"_ _Taryn, he could have gotten a concussion if he hit his head."_

 _"_ _What's a con-con-custion?" Taryn asked, struggling with the foreign word._

 _"_ _A concussion, love. It's an injury to the head."_

 _"_ _Oh…did I give Eren one?" she asked fearfully, worry sparkling in those large eyes._

 _Grisha quickly saw this as a moment to teach his daughter some sage medical advice that could help her in future situations. "No, baby, he's okay. But why don't I teach you how to identify a concussion?"_

 _Taryn nodded hastily, her eyes gleaming at the opportunity to learn something new from her father. Eren grumbled under his breath, not entertained with the idea of learning something. He took after his mother, preferring to be a free spirit who adventured a lot. Taryn took after her father, preferring to spend her days with her nose buried in a book. She practically hero-worshipped the man._

 _"_ _Okay then, first thing's first…"_

Taryn heard her father's voice whisper faintly in her ears as she recalled that lesson from so long ago.

 _"_ _Make sure that the person is conscious and breathing," Grisha began. He pointed to Eren. "Is he conscious and breathing?"_

 _Taryn smiled and poked her little brother in his chubby stomach. The little boy immediately burst into giggles._

 _"_ _Yep!" she answered. Grisha grinned, warmth running through him at the sight of his two children._

With a shuddering gasp, Taryn resolved that yes, she was currently conscious, if a little dizzy, and breathing properly. Okay…

 _"_ _Next, ask them a few simple questions to see if they can answer properly. That will tell you something about their mental health."_

Taryn racked her brain for some questions. What was her mother's name? _Carla Yeager_. When was her brother's birthday? _March…March 30_ _th_. What was the name of Commander of the Survey Corps? _Erwin Smith…wait. Why did I think of that question?_

She shook her head, clearing away the thought. After deciding that she was somewhat in full possession of her mental capabilities, Taryn returned to her father's lesson.

 _"_ _See if they feel nauseous, have trouble balancing or are super sensitive to light…_ "

Well shit…Taryn currently had all three of those. She was sure that if her arms weren't currently shackled to chains that were attached to the ceiling and holding her up in a vertical-standing position, she'd probably be falling and tripping all over the place. The light hurt her head and she definitely felt like throwing up. She steeled herself and forced her thoughts back to her father.

 _"_ _Finally, check their pupils to see how they react."_

Taryn groaned. She couldn't check her own eyes right now. Well…based on what she could tell, she would guess that she had a very light concussion right now. That wasn't going to help her escape at all, especially if she couldn't even stand straight without the help of restraints. Since when did she start getting herself stuck in such hopeless situations?

Suddenly, she felt so exhausted.

She felt like the little twelve year old, defenseless girl again…a girl who just wanted to be held by her father and told that everything was going to be okay. She wanted to curl up in her dad's lap and feel him gently rubbing circles into her back as he read her a book. She wanted Eren to be there with her, cuddled up against her side as that little, innocent boy he once was, giggling with the brightest, happiest eyes possible. And..and her mom. Her mom would sit on her other side, lovingly stroking her hair and laughing lightly at the stories Grisha would read.

A small tear ran down her face.

"Oh dad…" she sighed softly. Who knew where he was? Who knew if he was even alive!

"Aww…someone wants their dad now? Well, sweetie. You seem to be calling out for a lot of men. Got a daddy complex?" a voice teased her from the shadows of the room.

Taryn felt her body tense up. She glumly ignored the voice, choosing instead to focus on that peaceful picture of being reunited with her family.

Ivan walked up to her and tugged her chin into his hand, forcing her to look up at him. She winced at the harsh movement as it sent a shock of pain through her already tender skull.

"Let's make this simple. Where's the key, Yeager?" he whispered roughly.

Taryn looked at him reproachfully before spitting a glob of saliva into his eye.

"ARGH!" Ivan yelled, stumbling away from her. He rubbed the spit from his eye with disgust before turning to her with fury evident on his face.

"Why, you little bitch!" he yelled, rushing forward to hit her.

"Stop, Weber," a bored voice called. Ivan obeyed, his hand frozen in the air, just inches away from striking Taryn's cheek. Taryn turned around to the muscular, bespectacled man from earlier. He had donned a shirt now.

"Is that any way to treat our guest?" the man asked in a smooth voice. Taryn cringed. She had never heard a tone as insincere as that man's.

Ivan shook his head hesitantly.

"That's what I thought. Now go play with your tools, Weber. I'll call you when I need you," the man said. The boy nodded and walked over to the table that was covered in the sharp tools from before.

"Now, my dear," the man began, "while Ivan might be interested in your basement key, I'm interested in something else…" he purred.

Taryn didn't respond. She focused all her thoughts on Eren and how she was going to get out of here to find him and hold him tightly and tell him that she loved him. Another man came into her thoughts as well. Blonde hair…tall…the coldest, blue eyes possible.

A warm hand snaked its way around her waist as the man pulled her against his torso, breaking her from her thoughts. He bent down and skimmed his nose against her throat, taking a deep breath and sighing in satisfaction. She struggled as much as she could, but he was just too strong.

"You smell different too. Different from all the other titan-shifters," he murmured to no one in particular.

 _Other titan-shifters_? He knew about them?

"What do you want?" she begged.

He raised his head to look her in the eyes, his glasses glinting in the low light of the room.

"Something you have," he said simply. He let go of her and stepped back, his eyes roving over her figure. "Tell me, how do you control the titans with just your thoughts? You didn't even have to say anything, yet you made one titan attack another."

"Wha-?" Taryn was confused. Her raging headache wasn't helping either.

"The day you were kidnapped, Taryn," he sighed, as if speaking to a child.

Taryn remembered that day clearly. "I- I don't know…" she said truthfully.

"Come now, you must know. You've mastered the skill of communicating with titans a lot more than…others…"

His words suddenly gave her an idea. She hoped he wouldn't see through it. Taryn began to struggle against her restraints again, kicking around.

"Let me go! I'll scream until someone hears me!" she threatened him.

"Scream until your throat is raw, sweetheart," Ivan smirked from the back of the room. "We're in the middle of nowhere. Right at the edge of Wall Maria."

Taryn breathed in relief. He had just given her the information she needed. If they were by Wall Maria, then they were in titan territory. And for once, the titans could be her saviours instead of her downfall.

As much as it hurt, she focused her thoughts on the titans, trying to see if there were any in the nearby vicinity. As dangerous as it would be to command a legion of titans to storm this place down, her inaction would be a greater risk.

She closed her eyes and began to think hard. _Come help me. Come help me, please. Come help me, now!_

A low chuckle broke through her thoughts. She ignored it and kept thinking.

"Did you really think that I would be dumb enough to let you use your abilities to escape?" the bespectacled man laughed humourlessly.

Taryn opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion.

"We injected a suppressant into your body. It won't let you use your abilities at all."

Despair ran through her. Was that why her senses felt so dull?

"Hmm…Taryn Yeager. You are quite the interesting creature…" the man muttered. He began walking towards the door. "Well, since you're unwilling to answer my questions, I guess I'll have to leave you to Ivan."

Ivan's hazel eyes gleamed with perverse pleasure.

The man opened the door and walked out of the room with some last words that made Taryn feel like throwing up.

"Have fun with your toy, Weber."

* * *

Levi stood up on top of the wall as the leader, now known as Dimo Reeves- the head of the Reeves Company and a selfish businessman, he had captured was sitting next to his feet. They had just had a long talk about how the man would help them out in their mission. After a few threats and a sprinkling of logic of course. The man was still mumbling angrily under his breath when Levi heard a familiar voice from behind him.

He turned around to see Erwin jogging towards him.

"Erwin?" he asked, wrinkling his brow in confusion.

"Levi. Where's Eren?" the Commander asked, wasting no time.

"Safe. What's going on?"

"I need you both to help me. Taryn's been kidnapped, but I don't know by whom."

Immediately, Levi understood. Panic and desperation were clear in those blue eyes. The Commander didn't even try to disguise his anxiety at Taryn's disappearance.

"You came at the right time…we just finished taking care of President Porker over here," he said, nodding towards the leader who looked quite insulted at Levi's name for him.

"Good. Leave him with Hanji. You and Eren come with me," Erwin commanded. Levi nodded and began to swiftly walk in the Yeager boy's direction.

When the two soldiers entered the small room, both Eren and Krista shot to their feet.

"Commander Erwin?" Krista asked in confusion. Even Eren looked bewildered at the man's presence.

"I came here for an urgent matter. Eren, please sit down." Eren nodded slowly and took a seat on the bed.

"Your sister has been kidnapped…" Eren shot up to his feet once again, a mixture of anger and fear clear on his face.

"Again?" Krista gasped.

"I knew it! I felt it!" Eren cried in frustration.

"Calm down," Levi scoffed. "What do you mean you felt it, brat?"

"I had a headache…and I could see things and hear things…I heard her voice. She sounded…scared."

"What did you see, Eren?" Erwin asked immediately.

"I-I..." Eren stammered. "I-she was gagged, I think. And…and someone was talking to her. It was a male voice."

Erwin suppressed a groan.

"What else?" Levi urged, knowing that Erwin wouldn't be able to think clearly right now.

"She…she said Luka's name. Like she was shocked to see him," Eren said, straining to remember.

"Luka? Luka Weber?" Erwin asked sharply.

"I think so…"

"But the boy's dead," Levi muttered.

Erwin's mind was moving quickly. Either she had seen Luka's dead body, or she had seen someone who looked just like him.

"That's a good start," the Commander muttered distractedly.

Levi looked perplexed. "What did you need the brat for, Erwin?" he asked his friend.

"Ah," Erwin snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the young boy. "Hanji said that it would be possible for you two to communicate with one another, due to Taryn's ability and the strength of your sibling bond. I need you to try and find her using your bond, Eren," he said in a rushed fashion.

"But-but we've never tried that before, sir!" Eren exclaimed in shock.

"Your sister's life depends on this," Erwin growled. Eren's eyes widened. He had never seen the Commander look so agitated before.

"Y-yes, sir."

Erwin turned to Levi. "Levi, can you please escort Krista to another room. I just need it to be the two of us in here," he said, gesturing to Eren.

Levi hesitated. He never would originally hesitate to carry out an order from Erwin, but something was bothering him.

"Erwin, while I understand retrieving Taryn is important…don't you think you're moving a little too quickly? You don't seem to be looking at this objectively," he said quietly.

Erwin's eyes tightened.

"I know, Levi. Please, just trust me," he pleaded his friend.

Levi nodded reluctantly and beckoned Krista over, getting ready to lead her out of the room.

"Wait, Levi, there's one more thing I need to ask of you and Hanji," Erwin said abruptly.

* * *

Taryn's screams echoed throughout the room. The wails leaving her mouth sounded almost inhuman as Ivan dug his knife across her skin once again, this time dragging it from just below her right breast down to her left hipbone. Blood soaked the now- tattered and torn shirt she was wearing. In fact, it was hardly a shirt anymore. Black cloth hung in ribbons from her body.

"Such lovely skin. What a shame you made me do this to you," he murmured against her cheek, running his fingers across the fresh cuts that littered her bare torso.

"Please, stop," she sobbed.

"I would, beautiful. All you need to do is tell me where the key is," he hummed.

"I-I don't know where it is!" she cried. Ivan pulled away from her, looking quite disappointed. They both knew she was lying.

"Listen, love. I'm fairly sure it's with your brother. So what I need you to tell me is where your brother is."

Taryn gasped in shock.

"If you knew my brother had it, why did you kidnap me?" she rasped.

Ivan smirked. "Oh you sweet, innocent, thing. While we can suppress your powers with an injection, it would take a lot more to suppress a titan-shifter from turning into a fifteen metre titan."

"So you aim for me? I'm not as weak as you think. You're a coward," she sniffed.

Ivan shrugged, not bothered by her words. "Call me what you want, love. Now tell me where he is."

"Over my dead body." She would never betray her brother. He was too precious to her.

"That can be arranged," Ivan smiled. He looked at her thoughtfully. "Why don't we try another kind of torture? Spice things up?"

Taryn shivered. Her legs were barely able to hold her up at this point. They had been going at this interrogation for days now…or at least that's what it had felt like.

"Let me go set things up for our next session…you can take a break for a little bit. Just remember to not fall asleep! Who knows what I'll do to you when you're not conscious," he purred perversely.

She hadn't slept in days. Either he wouldn't let her sleep, waking her up with a sharp slap or a bucket of cold water in her face, or she was too scared to sleep. One time, she found herself nodding off, desperate for a few minutes of rest, when she felt a warm hand gently playing with the waistband of her pants, inching its way towards her crotch. Immediately, she snapped herself out of her nap, desperately kicking and screaming. Ivan had just smirked and told her that if she slept, fair was fair and he was allowed to do what he wanted to her.

Her body was beginning to break under the torture that was being inflicted on her. He had started off with hitting her and punching her, placing well-aimed blows to her stomach and legs.

Then, he turned to water-torture. Ivan had placed a small cloth on her face and then poured jugs of water over it. It made her feel like she was drowning. After a few rounds of this, he would take the cloth of her face for a few seconds, making her choke and vomit out water, coughing the liquid out of her lungs as she greedily gasped for air, before covering her face and pouring water on her again.

It was slow torture, and she could feel herself gradually breaking. She wanted to give up. To give him whatever he wanted. But a small voice told her to stay strong.

Taryn kept her mind as far away from the torture and the pain being inflicted on her, choosing to think about her family. About Luka. About…about the Commander. She was glad he wasn't there to see her like this.

After Ivan got bored of water torture, he had left her alone for a while, muttering in irritation about the number of tasks his boss wanted him to carry out. She looked down at her body, surveying her state. It was horrendous.

Her body had become a canvas for Ivan, painted with the colours of red blood, fresh purple bruises that overlapped healing, yellow ones, and black, angry burns that were spread out over her tanned skin. That was another part of his torture.

When Ivan got irritated at Taryn's refusal to comply, he would take an iron rod and hold it over the fire until it glowed bright orange and yellow. Then, he would press the rod onto her skin, basking in the smell of burnt flesh and her screams at the white-hot pain that ran through her.

Taryn was terrified at the fact that if she didn't get out of here soon, her wounds would start becoming infected. She hung her head in exhaustion, cringing at the sharp pain in her neck. She had lost count at the amount of times he had stabbed her with that dreaded needle, filled with the liquid that suppressed her senses and abilities.

" _Taryn…Taryn, love_ ," a whisper came from before her. Taryn ignored it. She was used to hearing whispers due to the sleep deprivation. Various noises regularly flooded her ears and sometimes…sometimes she would see shadows moving around in the corner of her vision, messing with her already exhausted mind.

But then, she felt a warm hand cup her chin. With wide eyes, Taryn raised her face and saw someone familiar standing in front of her.

"E-Erwin?" she stuttered. The Commander smiled at her gently, his eyes carefully studying her. "What are you doing…how-how did you find me?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm here now for you," he murmured, wrapping his strong arms around her. Taryn felt her body shudder roughly as a sob worked its way up her throat.

"I-I missed you," she whispered, tears obscuring her vision. He stroked her hair gently and placed his lips next to her ear.

"Just tell Ivan where Eren is, and I'll take you away from this place," he breathed.

Taryn froze at his words.

"W-What?"

The Commander pulled back slightly, rubbing his thumb on her cheekbone. She flinched back when she caught sight of the nasty grin he had on his face.

"Tell me where the key is, and I'll let you go," he sneered.

Taryn shook her head and blinked rapidly. This wasn't Erwin…this couldn't be Erwin…She scrunched her eyes tightly shut.

 _That isn't Erwin. That isn't Erwin. That isn't Erwin_ , she told herself.

With great reluctance, she opened one eye and breathed a sigh of both relief and despair. It hadn't been the Commander. There was no one in the room.

That was the first of many hallucinations that haunted her when Ivan left her alone. In fact, she was sure that the man was aware of these hallucinations and how much they tortured her. Sometimes it was Eren accompanied by Mikasa and Armin. The trio would taunt her, telling her that no one cared about her. They would spit at her, scorning her. Sometimes she saw Luka, his face crusted with dried blood from his death. He would blame her for his death, guilting her for leaving him behind. Taryn would crumble into tears at this, already blaming herself for losing him. The worst was when he would fix dead, hazel eyes onto her and accuse her of forgetting about him…leaving him for another man.

The delusion she saw the most of was that of Erwin. Those tended to be the worst. Seeing him had turned into her worst nightmare…a sad prospect given that he had been the one she had seen as her saviour. The handsome Commander would sometimes embrace her, whispering vicious things into her ears, sucking out every last piece of hope she held.

 _I hate you. We all hate you. I'm going to leave you here to die._

The mental torture was more painful than any physical wound…and Ivan knew that.

* * *

Erwin rubbed the dark bags under his eyes. It had been three days. Three days and Eren couldn't hear anything from his sister.

Occasionally he would feel a sharp sense of pain on different parts of his body, but he couldn't sense much more than that. This drove Erwin insane. Obviously Taryn was being tortured wherever she was. He hated being helpless. He hated knowing that he wasn't able to do anything to help her.

Levi patted him on the shoulder in a soothing manner.

"As hard as it is to hear this, Erwin, at least we know she's in pain…that means she's alive and not…" he trailed off, unwilling to voice the idea of death.

Erwin shook his head.

"It's not enough. Call Hanji and let's go back down to the dungeon. I think Sanes can start talking."

Levi sighed. While he was very willing to torture the soldier, he still wasn't sure what Erwin hoped to achieve from that.

Djel Sanes was part of the Military Police with very close ties to the government and the King. He had been the one to send out the warrant for Taryn's arrest, as Erwin had found out through Dimo Reeves. He had also been responsible for the torture and death of Pastor Nick, according to Hanji. To her pleasure, they had managed to capture him the day before.

Sanes was currently strapped down to a chair, unable to even "scratch his shitty ass", should the need arise as Levi had put it.

A workbench of torture tools lay out in front of the terrified man. Hanji stood to the side, a large, feral grin stretched across her face. She looked up from preparing some of the tools when Levi and Erwin walked into the small dungeon.

"Hanji, we need information. Now," Erwin said. Hanji nodded and picked up a set of metal pliers.

"I'd ask you to forgive me for this, buuutt I don't really care what you think," she chirped cheerfully as she walked up to her prisoner. Levi stood carefully away from the man, tying a white apron around his clothes to prevent any blood from getting on it. Hanji couldn't care less about her own clothing.

The man struggled in the chair, warily eyeing the tool in Hanji's hand.

She grasped one of Sanes' hands and held it out, placing the plier onto one of his fingers.

"Heads up- it's going to hurt!"

Before Sanes could even flinch, she quickly ripped off one of his fingernails with the pliers. A blood-curdling scream left his throat as blood dripped down his hand.

"What kind of torturers rip off nails without asking any questions first?" he yelled through his pain.

"Well I'm sorry I can't pull them out as cleanly as you did to Pastor Nick!" Hanji exclaimed and handed the pliers over to Levi.

"Well if you're so desperate for questions, the Commander's got some for you," Levi sighed.

Sanes blinked away the tears that had welled up in his eyes, trying to focus on the tall figure that stood before him.

"You were the one who called for the arrest of Taryn Yeager. Where is she?" he asked quietly.

Sanes wrinkled his brow, confused.

"She should have been arrested and sent to trial."

Erwin's mouth curled downwards. His patience was running thin.

"She was. But then there were orders to execute her, except she never reached the execution area. What happened?"

Sanes eye twitched. "I-I don't know! The Military Police should have executed her! We weren't going to do anything else with her, I swear!"

Erwin just looked over at Levi who nodded. The shorter man stepped forward and placed the pliers against Sanes' other hand, swiftly ripping off two more fingernails. The soldier's screams echoed throughout the room, piercing his captor's ears, yet they remained cool and unaffected.

"I'll ask you one more time. Where. Is. She."

Sanes opened his mouth to answer but Erwin cut him off.

"Don't lie to me, Sanes. Your body language is giving you away. You know what happened."

Sweat glistened on the man's forehead.

"I- I don't know," he gasped.

Erwin snarled, ready to beat the man to a pulp, but Hanji held his arm back. Both she and Levi were quite startled at the Commander's unusual violent demeanor, contrasting starkly with his normally calm persona.

"Erwin, go check on Eren. We'll deal with Sanes here and get the information out of him," she said softly.

The Commander took a deep breath and nodded. He turned around and walked out of the room, desperate to clear his head. Before he could close the door, Hanji's cheerful voice floated out to his ears.

"Now then, Sanes. How attached are you to your testicles?"

* * *

Taryn was done. She was just so done. There was only so much the human body and mind could take. In fact, she was quite proud of herself for lasting this long.

The man with glasses paced in front of her, grumbling under his breath. Ivan stood off to the side, his eyes roving over her figure with a predatory glint to them.

"She's not talking, huh?" the man finally asked Ivan. Ivan shook his head. The man sighed in disappointment. "What a waste…well then, Weber, finish off whatever you wanted to do to her. Then we'll work on the live dissection. If she's not willing to say anything, maybe her insides will."

Taryn couldn't even respond to the man's words anymore. She just wanted to be put out of her misery.

The man left the room. He left Taryn to the mercy of Ivan. She flinched slightly when she felt him wrap his arm around her waist, firmly grinding his pelvis against her own.

"Well, I think it's about time I got some pleasure from this, yeah?" Ivan whispered heatedly as he nipped at her neck.

"No, please stop," she cried weakly.

He listened and pulled back for a second, closely studying her face.

"What? You don't like it when I do this? But you probably enjoyed it when my brother kissed you…touched you…" He gently caressed her cheek.

Taryn turned her face away from the man who looked so similar to her former lover.

"We were just friends," she lied.

Ivan scoffed. "As if my brother would pass up on the chance to sleep with a girl like you…"

Taryn's brows furrowed. "We never slept together!" she protested feebly.

Ivan looked at her with doubt. "You really expect me to believe that? Do you know how many girls he fucked back home? You were just another notch in his belt."

Taryn shook her head. "Luka…Luka would never do that."

The boy barked with laughter. "Actually you're right…That was me. All the girls he rejected would come running to me, just begging to be fucked. I mean, we looked alike so it was enough for them." He chuckled bitterly. "I always got his leftovers…" Ivan paused and looked at her. "But now, I have you- something he hasn't touched yet."

"What made you the sick sadist that you are?" Taryn asked in disgusted awe.

He shrugged. "Want to know something even sicker? We're currently in my childhood home. The place where your beloved Luka grew up."

Taryn blanched.

"And now I get to fuck you while he watches in spirit," he murmured, bending down to suck on her earlobe and slowly rubbing his crotch against her.

Taryn cried out in revulsion, but Ivan just ignored it. She closed her eyes, trying to shut out everything. She normally withdrew into the back of her mind when she was being tortured- it made the pain easier to bear. But right now, she was finding it difficult to tune out the way his hands groped her roughly, or the way he forced his tongue into her mouth, bruising her lips in the process.

She jerked in his grasp, futilely struggling to break free.

Ivan smirked. "Still feisty? Very nice." His grip on her tightened as one hand impatiently tugged on her pant's waistband. "I'll have even more fun breaking you then."

 _Taryn, where are you? Taryn! Please! Listen to me!_

Taryn's eyes shot open. That was Eren's voice. Could it be another hallucination? As Ivan's hot breath panted against her ear, Taryn tried to think back to when she had last been injected with the suppressant. It had to have been hours ago… It was completely possible that the suppressant's effects were wearing off.

At this point, Taryn was just running on pure luck and the last slivers of adrenaline.

 _Eren! Ivan Weber- W-wall Maria…_

That was all the energy she had left to say. It took a lot of effort to communicate with titans, even with her own brother.

All went silent in her mind. Hope quickly drained out of her. Maybe it had just been another hallucination.

Right as Ivan went to unzip his own pants, the dungeon door slammed open. In stormed the bespectacled man.

"You have terrible timing, old man," Ivan growled, pulling his mouth away from Taryn's neck.

"Shut up, Weber! I felt her say something in her head! When was the last time you injected her?" the man demanded.

Taryn was surprised. How could this man tell she had been talking to Eren? Did he also have titan abilities?

Ivan scratched his head. "A while ago, I guess?"

"You fucking idiot! It's wearing off right now! I felt her trying to communicate! Inject her right now!"

Ivan rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure…"

Taryn didn't know whether to cry or laugh in relief at the man's timely intervention. Maybe there was hope.

* * *

Eren's eyes shot open. He…he heard her? He stumbled up from his chair, almost falling down in the process as he ran out the door.

"COMMANDER! COMMANDER ERWIN!"

The Commander was sitting downstairs, his head resting in his hands. He looked up at the arrival of the boy.

"Yes, Eren?" he asked wearily.

"I heard her, sir! She spoke to me!"

Erwin immediately straightened up. "What did she say?"

"Um, she said 'Ivan Weber' and 'Wall Maria'…that's all."

Erwin shook his head. That wasn't much to go on and they didn't have a lot of time.

"Good work, Eren. Please stay here," he said, patting the boy on the shoulder before swiftly walking down to the dungeon.

Sanes' screams could be heard from outside the door. The smell of urine and blood reached his nose as he entered the dungeon.

Hanji and Levi were currently arguing.

"Hanji! You have to pull out a tooth that _doesn't_ have cavities…" Levi said, rolling his eyes.

"Well excuse me for not having experience in torturing people, Levi!" Hanji pouted, waving around a set of pliers that currently held yellowed tooth covered in blood.

"Move aside," Erwin demanded of the two, walking straight up to the quivering, bloodied figure that was Sanes.

"Ivan Weber. Who is he?" he scowled.

Sanes' eyes widened at the name. Bingo.

"I-I don't know who he is," Sanes whispered fearfully.

"Wrong answer," Erwin snarled. To Levi and Hanji's shock, he used his pointer finger and his thumb, hooking them into Sanes' eye socket. The man cried out in pain.

"Now tell me before you lose an eye. Who is Ivan Weber and where is he?"

"He's part of the Weber family! He asked me to get Taryn Yeager by herself and that he would take care of the rest! Please don't hurt me!" Sanes wailed, dissolving into tears.

"Where is he?" Erwin asked again, pressing his thumb firmly against the man's eye. His patience was gone at this point.

"I don't know! All he said is that he used to live by Wall Maria- his house is near a stream. He mentioned it because he said it was a good source of fresh water!"

Erwin pulled his fingers away from the man's eye and turned around. That was all the information he needed.

"I'm going to get her back," he announced to Levi and Hanji. He turned to leave the room but was stopped by a firm hand.

"Erwin, stop. Think for a moment. You can't go in with guns blazing- we don't even know who we're dealing with."

Erwin shook the Captain's hand off.

"There's no time to think, Levi. Who knows what the-they're doing to her…" he choked.

Levi's grey eyes widened. Erwin was extremely vulnerable right now. That definitely wouldn't help Taryn… The short Captain glanced at Hanji.

"Oi, Shitty Glasses. Can you hold down the fort here with Sanes?"

"Of course, Levi! There so much more to ask him!" she said, looking slightly insulted at Levi's doubt in her.

Levi rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure."

He and Erwin walked outside into the hallway, shutting the door behind them.

"Erwin," he said, grabbing the man's shoulder before he could run off.

"What, Levi?" Erwin snapped impatiently. Levi didn't flinch. The Commander sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sn-…it's just…" he trailed off despondently.

"Erwin, you of all people know how important it is to put our emotions in the back. We need to concentrate on strategizing first. We're more likely to hurt ourselves and Taryn if we try to run in there with no plan in mind," Levi said carefully

"We?" the Commander asked.

Levi smirked. "I can't let you go in there by yourself…"

"Levi, if this is about my arm-…" but the shorter man cut him off.

"Erwin, I know that you're more deadly with one arm than any other soldier would be with twenty arms." Erwin snorted in agreement. "But, it's not your physical state I'm concerned with. It's your emotional and mental state. Your…" Levi paused, trying to figure out what word to use. "…bond with Taryn Yeager can cloud your judgment…it can cause you to make mistakes. The last thing humanity needs is to lose our Commander because he wasn't paying attention."

Erwin sighed in defeat. Levi was making perfect sense. The blonde Commander couldn't believe how recklessly he was behaving…It wasn't like him to act like this.

 _What kind of hold do you have on me, Taryn?_ he thought with sullen amusement.

"Okay, Levi. I trust you. While I think of a plan, can you ready our horses? We shouldn't be gone for more than a day…everyone here should be fine for a while."

Levi nodded, glad that the Commander was listening. He was also intrigued by the Yeager girl's effect on his best friend. As hard as it was, Erwin believed that the deaths of soldiers were not in vain- they helped humanity move in its course to eventual freedom. That was why he never seemed bothered by the deaths of so many men. Yet here he was, risking his life, and his three remaining limbs, to break his views and rescue a girl, whom he had just met a few months ago, from the jaws of death.

 _Taryn Yeager…you are one lucky girl,_ he thought with interest.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** It's a long A/N, so I'll put it at the end and let you guys get straight to the reading.

As per usual, beware of **spoilers** and some graphic torture at the beginning of this chapter. (All this blood…damn. Maybe I need to ease up on watching _Game of_ Thrones…) It's up to your discretion to read.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Eleven: Hell Hath no Fury Like an Erwin Scorned

 _"_ _They say I'm a dangerous man, better run fast as you can,  
_ _Don't you look back, every bone in my body's bad.  
_ _Fires burning, skies are turning black,  
_ _They say I'm a dangerous man."_

 _(Dangerous Man- Little Dume)_

* * *

After informing the Commander of his brief contact with his older sister, Eren numbly ambled over to his bed in the room the boys slept in. He trusted the Commander to rescue Taryn, but that didn't stop the endless barrage of negative thoughts that filled his mind.

 _What if the Commander doesn't get_ _there in time? What if those were Taryn's last words to me? What if I lose her just like m-…mom…_

"Eren?" a familiar, gentle voice asked.

Eren looked up to see Mikasa step into the room and quietly shut the door behind her. Those large, grey eyes regarded him with concern.

"A-are you crying?" she asked hesitantly. Eren's teal-green eyes widened in surprise as he reached up to touch his face, his fingers coming in contact with a wet cheek. He furiously rubbed away the liquid and looked away angrily.

"No…" he mumbled.

Mikasa didn't push him. Instead she walked over to the bed and seated herself besides him.

"I heard that the Commander and Levi left to retrieve Taryn," she said softly.

Eren didn't answer, trying to quell all the uncertainties inside of him. Even though he was a temperamental teenager who could come off as quite aloof most of the times (scolding his older sister or pushing her away when she tried to pepper him with kisses or hug him) he still cared deeply about her and did not want to even entertain the possibility that he might lose her.

Mikasa was aware of his attachment to his sister. She herself liked the older Yeager girl, even though she wasn't very good at showing it. Taryn had taken care of her in ways that Eren couldn't, especially after the death of her parents. Eren always chose to confront things head on…that wasn't the best way to help Mikasa after the trauma she went through. Taryn, on the other hand, waited patiently, bringing food up everyday to the young girl, who had hidden herself up in a guest room. The older Yeager would sit quietly next to the young girl, gently stroking her back or trying to coax her to come outside for some fresh air. It took weeks, but after the daily visits from Taryn, who was accompanied by Eren quite often, she finally worked up the courage to leave the room and face the world.

Eren had always been her strength-no matter the situation. But he was that loud, abrasive sort of strong person. Taryn had been that gentle, comforting presence that remained by her side…serving as a constant reminder of the quiet strength a person could possess as well. Together, in her eyes, the Yeager siblings were living proof that goodness, love and loyalty still existed in the hellish world they lived in.

So right now, it made her feel very sad to see Eren by himself, without his sister to counterbalance his fiery personality. She was concerned about the older girl's safety as well, but right now, her priority was Eren. There would be no use in fretting over Taryn, she reasoned to herself.

Eren took care of her so many years ago. Now, she would return the favour.

She reached out, hesitantly at first, and let her fingers skim over the soft, brown locks that refused to sit neatly on Eren's head. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even seem to notice this bit of contact. Emboldened by his lack of protest, Mikasa gently stroked his hair in what she hoped was a comforting manner.

Little shocks of electricity ran through her as he unconsciously leaned into her touch.

"She'll be alright, Eren…don't cry. I trust the Commander."

Her voice snapped Eren out of whatever thought process he was caught in. His cheeks flushed bright red when he noticed her hand on his head, and he immediately jumped off the bed and away from Mikasa.

Mikasa didn't even try to hide and the look of hurt that washed over her features.

"What the hell, Mikasa? I said I wasn't crying, alright!" he snapped harshly.

Since she knew him so well, she didn't push further on the subject of his tears, but she did voice her opinions on his attitude.

"Why do you always push me away?" she asked sadly.

Eren gaped at her for a few seconds before turning away and frowning. "I-I don't…"

But Mikasa wouldn't let him off easy this time. She stood up and walked over to him, grabbing his hand with her own.

"Wha-Mikasa! Let go!" Eren snarled, furiously trying to shake her off. She was resilient as ever.

"No, Eren. Listen to me," she demanded quietly, her grey eyes swirling with the intensity of a thousand storms. To her surprise, Eren stopped struggling in her grasp and quieted down. The tips of his ears were still very red and he refused to look her in the eye.

Mikasa took a deep breath before continuing. "I know that you don't like it when I try and take care of you…but I don't do that to undermine your ability, Eren. I do it because I care about. Because I lo-…because you mean a lot to me."

Eren didn't miss the slip up in her words. His slowly raised his bright green eyes to meet hers.

"I know that you think of me as only a sister, and I'm fine with th-" but she was cut off by Eren. Within seconds, she found herself pinned against the door, Eren's body pressed flush against her own, her wrists grasped tightly in his hands.

He looked livid.

"Sister? Seriously?" he growled lowly. Mikasa's eyes widened.

"You're not my sister, Mikasa," he breathed, his hot breath fanning over her lips. "You're not my sister and I'm not your brother. I only have one sister- Taryn."

The young girl didn't know how to handle his words. She was torn between hurt and confusion.

"Th-then, what am I to you, Eren?" she whispered.

The boy's emerald eyes burned into hers, as if he was trying to send her a message telepathically. There was so much pent up frustration in his features.

Mikasa watched as he subconsciously licked his lips and leaned forward slowly…hesitantly. It was so quiet in the room, you could have heard a pin drop. Both occupants were too afraid to even breathe. Their hearts beat violently, each afraid that the other would hear the loud drumming in their chests.

Eren's gaze flickered down to her lips. His eyes were slightly hooded and their green colour darkened with…desire?

Mikasa stood perfectly still, terrified that if she moved- if she even blinked- Eren would pull away and reject her as quickly as he did every other time. He was like a deer...very fickle and flighty. She needed to let him approach her at his own pace. Mikasa was starting to understand the titan boy better and better.

"Not my sister…" he breathed lowly, his mouth only a hairsbreadth away from hers.

At this point, Mikasa felt like all the air had been stolen from her lungs, but she dared not do anything for fear of startling Eren.

* * *

Taryn could feel her heart beating so quickly that she was afraid it would jump out of her chest.

"Ready for your dissection, my dear?" the spectacled man asked with a grim smile.

"Wh-where's Ivan?" Taryn asked, ignoring the man's question.

She didn't know why she wanted Ivan there with her…maybe it was the beginning of Stockholm Syndrome- or maybe it was because even though that boy had caused her enough pain to last her ten lifetimes, she would rather have him in the room than the current figure. At least Ivan was open and straightforward about his cruelty and perverseness. This man hid everything behind a carefully constructed mask. He was up to something, and Taryn hated not knowing.

"Not here, obviously," the man mumbled distractedly. He held a thin syringe in his hand, filled with a clear liquid. He flicked it a few times, making the liquid jump.

"What's that?" Taryn asked, desperate to keep the conversation going, therefore preventing the seemingly inevitable pain she would be going through.

"An accelerant. The opposite of the suppressant we've been giving you," he said.

Taryn was genuinely confused. Why would he give her back her abilities? _Unless…_

"Oh…you want to see how my abilities work while you c-cut me open?" she asked quietly. The man grinned widely as he stepped up to her and pressed the needle tip into the well-bruised area of her neck. Taryn shuddered as the liquid ran through her. She could feel her body slowly waking up…the fog that constantly hung over her mind was clearing.

"Why, yes! My goodness! You're as bright as your father always said you were!" he exclaimed gleefully. But then his expression sobered and he sighed regretfully. "Well, it's too bad that you're not on my side, my dear. You really could have been a fantastic asset to my cause…"

"Fuck your cause," Taryn exhaled.

"Exactly my point," he mumbled as he wrapped an apron around his torso. "Now…let's start off by sterilizing you."

She watched in fear as he dipped a white piece of cloth in some alcohol before bringing the dripping rag over to her.

"Please excuse my actions- I promise you I am not trying to compromise your modesty on purpose," he said almost apologetically.

"What do you-?" but before she could finish, he tore off the remaining scraps of clothing that had covered her torso, leaving her completely bare from the waist up. Taryn immediately shrieked in humiliation but was unable to cover herself up due to her restraints. Angry tears leaked out from the corner of her eyes.

"Heads up, it's going to feel cold," he hummed. He ran the alcohol soaked cloth down the center of her torso, in a straight line starting between her collar bones, moving down to the valley between her breasts and ending just below her navel. She flinched at the burning feeling of the liquid on all of the wounds that covered her torso.

"Good girl," he murmured before pressing a kiss to her forehead. She whimpered angrily and turned her face away, making him chuckle lightly.

"Okay, now for the tools-" he began, turning around to look at the workbench. After a few minutes of searching, he growled frustrated under his breath. "Fucking Weber…leaving everything so disorganized…"

He sighed and turned back to Taryn. "Give me a few minutes, dear. My dissection knife is somewhere in this mess. I wouldn't want to brutalize you with a tool as barbaric as the axe that idiot left me…"

Still grumbling and cursing Ivan under his breath, the spectacled man continued to noisily shift around various tools on the workbench. Taryn flinched every time the metal devices screeched against one another.

She sniffled, unsure of what to do. Any hope that she may have had was leaving her. As she tried to quiet herself and accept what was coming, she heard a few dull thumps coming from upstairs. Then, she could have sworn she heard a _very_ familiar voice speak.

 _Tch…what a shitty dump…_

But a quick glance at the man showed that he hadn't heard either sound. Taryn sighed despairingly. _Now I'm hearing things? Why Levi's voice of all people?_

"Ah! Got it!" the man cheered, holding up a large, sharp knife in his hand. The silver blade winked menacingly at her in the dim light.

Taryn felt her heart sinking rapidly. This was it…

With every step the man took towards her, Taryn felt herself growing more and more numb. She had resigned herself to her fate. She was going to be cut open and dissected on the spot…a specimen for this…this beast-like man before her.

"Do you want a cloth to bite down on?" he asked her, morbid concern glinting in his eyes.

The girl shook her head. If he was going to slice her skin open, she wanted to make sure that he heard every ounce of pain she was feeling. Ivan too. It might not change anything, but it reassured her in a strange way.

He shrugged and pressed the tip of the cold blade at the top of her chest, just slightly below her collarbones. A few beads of blood escaped her skin under the pressure of the knife.

"I won't get mad if you scream," he sighed. Taryn took a shuddering breath and looked away, mentally preparing herself. Except she knew that no amount of mental preparation would help in this situation. The most she could ask for was that she would be able to pass out quickly from the pain.

"Alright then, my dear," he breathed excitedly. She felt the tip dig into her skin before he began to drag it down the line of alcohol that ran straight down her torso.

It burned.

This man's work made Ivan's torture seem like mere paper cuts. He had just left shallow cuts on her skin- nothing she couldn't handle, painful though they were. But here, the man was practically digging her open. Even though she knew human anatomy quite well, thanks to her father, she was terrified that the knife was stuck deep enough inside her chest to pierce her lungs.

The combination of mind-numbing pain and the panic that settled over her, released itself in an inhuman scream that ran her throat raw.

* * *

Eren's mouth lingered over Mikasa's, separated by just a breath of air. Her lips tingled with electricity. Mikasa longed to whisper his name, but she stopped herself from doing so.

 _Let him come to you_ , she reminder herself.

Closer and closer he leaned forward… Mikasa closed her eyes, her mind and body ready for the kiss that she had waited for years now… It was inevitable. Excitement ran through her.

But after a span of a few seconds, nothing happened. She didn't think it would take that long would it? Was he reconsidering, she thought with fear?

Her eyes shot open when she heard a strangled gasp escape his mouth. It took her a little bit to process what was happening. Eren had his left hand over his chest, his fingers blindly clawing at his shirt as if trying to dig a hole through it. His green eyes were wide open…but blank. His right hand was pressed against his ear like he was attempting to shut out a sound. And finally, his mouth was opened in a silent scream.

Mikasa watched as he sunk to his knees, his breath coming out in short huffs.

"Eren?" she whispered in fear.

He couldn't hear her. What happened next scared her like nothing else ever had.

The scream that left Eren's throat was nothing short of terrifying.

"Eren!" she yelled, dropping to her knees and shaking him by his shoulders. His eyes were screwed shut as his right hand desperately tugged at his ear. Mikasa was shocked to see blood dripping down his cheek. He had scratched his ear badly, as if he was trying to pull it off.

His left hand continued to tear open his shirt as screams racked his body.

"MAKE IT STOP!" he sobbed. "IT HURTS! MAKE IT STOP!"

Mikasa sat frozen with fear.

The door to the room slammed open as Jean ran in, followed closely by Hanji and Armin. Their faces held identical expressions of horror and alarm.

Hanji shot Mikasa a sharp look.

"What happened, Mikasa?!"

Mikasa couldn't answer.

Jean, meanwhile, had dropped next to Eren and tried to slap the boy out of his fit. Instead of coming back to reality, Eren just screamed louder. Jean backed up in terror and for once, was at a loss of words.

Hanji ran over to the titan boy and pulled his hand away from his ear. She placed her mouth next to his ear and spoke. "Eren! What's wrong? What's wrong?"

His eyes shot open as if he had heard her, yet the green globes looked as blank as ever…as if he wasn't seeing anything in the room.

"M-MY CHEST!" he managed to yell. "Her screams…make them stop, please!" he cried, tears dripping down his face.

" _Her_ screams?" Armin muttered in confusion from his spot near the door.

Hanji immediately bent down and tore Eren's shirt open, not caring about impropriety. Her gaze was met with a normal, tan, and slightly skinny, chest. There was no blemish on it- nothing that could possibly cause so much pain. She was mystified. Maybe it was an internal injury?

"The link…" Armin gasped, comprehension on his quickly paling face.

Hanji turned to look at the boy. "What was that, Arlert?" she asked roughly.

Armin flinched. "I-I think it's the b-bond that Eren shares with T-Taryn…" he whispered.

Hanji blanched, as she immediately understood.

If the pain transmitted through the bond was bad enough for Eren, she didn't even want to begin to imagine what Taryn was actually going through.

* * *

Levi looked up from the man he had just knocked out, surveying his surroundings. It really was a shitty dump, just like he said. There were a few guards and other men around the small building as well as inside. It hardly took five minutes to knock all of them out between himself and Erwin.

The Captain glanced with discreet admiration at his blonde friend's agility, even with just one arm.

"Where do you think they might be holding her?" Levi asked him while dusting off his hands. He was slightly disgruntled at the fact that he had to physically touch the grimy men to knock them out. Erwin shook his head, unsure.

"It's not a big building. We'll just have to start sear-"

But Erwin was interrupted by an earsplitting scream from downstairs that made the hairs on Levi's arm stand up. The Commander's blue eyes widened.

"I think she's downstairs," Levi breathed. He turned to speak to Erwin about their plan to rescue Taryn…but Erwin had already left.

"Er-Erwin? ERWIN! Oi! Blonde, Brawn, and Stupid! Wait!"

There was only one thing on the Commander's mind right now, and that thing was to make someone's life a living hell.

He followed the bone-chilling screams that were issuing from the basement, an angry veil of red falling before his vision. Levi sighed and hurried behind his currently tempestuous friend.

With blazing, blue eyes and blades drawn, Erwin kicked the door to the basement open. It slammed against the wall with a loud CRASH!

The scene before him made him stop abruptly in his tracks. Taryn's arms were chained up to the ceiling, the skin around her wrist rubbed raw by the metal of the cuffs; her ankles were chained together as well. She was practically naked, numerous scars, burns and bruises covering her body. But what caught his eye was the blade that was sticking out of her chest, its handle held by a grinning, spectacled man as he slid it slowly down her torso. Taryn's mouth was open, but at this point it seemed as if she was in too much pain to even scream anymore. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed.

As Levi followed the Commander into the dank basement, his grey eyes widened with shock and disgust. He noticed Erwin shaking with anger and quickly knew he needed to salvage the situation.

"Get Taryn. I'll deal with the guy," he muttered silently, placing, what he hoped, was a calming hand on Erwin's arm.

Erwin looked like he wanted to vehemently protest, the desire to rip the man's head off quickly consuming his thoughts, but he realized that Taryn's welfare was more important at the moment.

Just as he was about to nod, the man finally noticed the two soldier's presence and slid the knife out of Taryn, adjusting his spectacles with his non-bloodied hand. Erwin watched as Taryn's body seized with pain as the blade was pulled out, blood quickly pooling onto the floor. Her tanned skin was steadily growing paler at the blood loss and she seemed to finally be losing consciousness.

"Ah, and whom do we have here?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"Go," Levi urged the Commander. Then, the short captain turned his attention to the man. "Well basically, we're here to crash your fucked-up little party," he snorted although his eyes held no humour.

"Are you sure you wouldn't care to join me, gentlemen?" the man asked politely.

"No thanks, but slicing open anyone that's not a titan just isn't my cup of tea," Levi replied smoothly.

"Suit yourself," the man shrugged.

Levi snarled and lunged forward quicker than the human eye could follow, his blades moving so fast that they seemed blurred.

As Levi engaged the man in battle, Erwin rushed forward to tend to Taryn. The first thing he did was to unchain her from her restraints. He thanked whatever gods that existed that the keys had been hung up right next to the door, although he was sure that it was a form of mental torture for Taryn- being able to see the literal key to her freedom just a few feet away from her, but not being able to reach it.

After he had un-cuffed both her wrists and ankles and gently laid her on the floor, he began to study her wounds. While she was incredibly battered up, the injury that required the most attention was the cut in her chest. The man had managed to slide the knife down from the top of her chest to just below her breasts. It wasn't a very long cut, all things considered, but it was very deep. Blood gushed out rapidly.

Erwin didn't even pay attention to the fact that Taryn had no clothes on. All he could concentrate on was stopping the blood loss. He gently stroked back her black hair from her sweaty forehead. Her brown eyes were open, but unfocused. Low moans of pain escaped her mouth once in a while.

He pressed his hands over the wound, trying stem the flow of blood. It wasn't very effective. Her chest needed to be wrapped up desperately.

Erwin was never a medical man, but he had attended to wounded soldiers on a few excursions. Nothing to this extent, but he knew to go through a few basics.

Looking around the room desperately, he spotted a bottle of alcohol on a nearby table. As he reached up to grab it, he was nearly knocked over as the spectacled man ran past him, rushing out of the basement with Levi hot on his heels. Looks like they were taking this fight outside.

He nabbed the bottle and brought it over to Taryn.

"I'm so sorry if this hurts," he muttered regretfully, gently stroking her cheek. With a determined resolve, he poured alcohol over the edges of the wound, making sure that it was sterilized. The last thing Taryn needed was to get infected.

Taryn's body jerked at the burn of the alcohol and a pained wail escaped her. Erwin gritted his teeth and ignored it. For the greater good…

After applying the alcohol, He ripped the right sleeve of his shirt off and dabbed the wound, clearing away the blood and alcohol that had congealed on her skin. Once he had cleared the area up, he could actually see the injury better. It really wasn't that big of a cut, nothing some medical attention from Hanji couldn't fix, but it still needed to be wrapped up in the meanwhile.

He tore off his green travelling cloak and wrapped it tightly around her torso. The cloth was thankfully thick enough to absorb the blood. At this point, Taryn was completely unconscious, her eyes shut and her breathing slow.

Suddenly the ground shook beneath him as if an earthquake was happening. Erwin tried to steady himself as he went to pick up Taryn. Within seconds, the ground became still, but the Commander noticed a problem.

He growled angrily. He needed to carry her to the horses, but there was no way he could do that without his arm!

"Motherfucking piece of shit!"

A familiar swear made its way into the basement before its owner did. Levi jogged up to Erwin, anger evident on his features.

"Where did he go?" Erwin asked.

"I'll tell you later…" Levi growled before glancing at Taryn. "What now?" he asked, nodding at her unmoving body.

"Levi, I need you to carry her upstairs. We need to take her back to Hanji as quickly as possible."

Levi nodded. He first removed his cloak as well and wrapped it around her shoulders, making sure that she would be warm, and then scooped the girl up into her arms, bridal style. "It's always a Jaeger," he sighed under his breath.

The two ran up as quickly as they could and made their way outside, looking around for their horses.

"Erwin, I don't think she'll survive the trip back if we make her ride horse-back. She'll be jostled around too much," Levi said hesitantly.

Erwin stopped moving and shut his eyes, quickly thinking of a solution. "Wait, Levi- there was a stable nearby when we rode here, right?" The captain nodded. "There must be a cart over there that we can attach to a horse and ride back with."

With that thought, the two ran in the direction of the supposed stable. The sound of whinnying horses met their ears and they were glad to see that Erwin's guess was right. A rickety, old wooden cart stood near the stables, ready to be hooked up to a horse.

"I'll ride in the back with her," Erwin said hastily. Levi nodded and moved towards the cart. Suddenly, a shadowy figure stepped out in front of it.

"Now where do you think you're going?" a sharp voice sneered.

Erwin glared at the figure. Time was of the essence. The more time they wasted, the smaller Taryn's chance of survival was.

"Move out of the way," Levi commanded coldly.

"Not a chance. You stealing my girl?"

Erwin snarled at this. The figure stepped out from the shadows of the stable to face the two men. Both soldiers felt a wave of surprise and confusion crash over them when the caught sight of the boy's face.

He looked exactly like former Cadet Luka Weber. Then it hit Erwin. Was that why Taryn had called Luka's name when she had been kidnapped, according to Eren? His surprise swiftly turned into rage. That meant that this boy was responsible for harming Taryn as well.

"Levi, put Taryn in the cart. It's my turn," he breathed.

Levi looked at his friend with slight unease. "Erwin…" he said warningly.

"Go, please," he said quietly. Levi nodded and quickly made his way to the cart. The boy didn't attempt to stop him.

"So you're Erwin…" he mused, as if suddenly understanding something.

"What does it matter?" the Commander spat.

The boy just chuckled quietly and shook his head. "It doesn't matter, I guess. Especially not after I'm done with you guys."

Erwin could almost hear Levi snarling in his head, _Tough words for a shitty brat like yourself._

"Try me," Erwin murmured.

It was a pitiful attempt, even in Erwin's eyes. The boy lunged forward with a large blade in his hand- clearly taken from some stolen 3DMG gear. It was painfully obvious to both soldiers' well-trained eyes that the kid had no idea how to handle the blade well. Erwin almost felt bad as the boy swung the blade at him, only to miss as Erwin easily sidestepped the attack. Almost.

The Weber boy fell forward onto his face with the momentum of the missed attack.

Within seconds, Erwin had disarmed him, flinging the boy's blade out of his reach, angling his own 3DMG blade at the slender neck before him. The boy's eyes widened with fear as the sharp tip bit into his skin. He yelped at the painful feeling.

An inferno swirled around in Erwin's blue eyes as he hovered over the boy, a hundred different scenarios going through his head of how he could kill the kid.

"P-Please, don't kill me! Please!" the boy gasped, his hazel eyes shining with unshed tears.

Erwin pressed the blade even harder against the kid's throat until a few drops of blood spilled down his neck. The boy squeaked in pain and terror.

"I-I'll do anything! Please…just-just don't kill me! I'm sorry for what h-happened to T-Tary-"

At this, Erwin scowled and nearly killed the boy right there.

"Don't you dare say her name," he whispered threateningly.

The boy nodded as much as he could with a blade against his throat.

"Erwin, we need to go, now! She needs immediate medical attention from Shitty Glasses!" Levi called from the cart.

At the mention of Hanji, the Commander's eyes narrowed as an idea formed in his head.

"You're right. I won't kill you," he began. Relief spread over the boy's features, only to disappear at the man's next words. "Instead, you'll come back with us. I'm sure there's some amount of information we can get out of you."

Torture. Ivan knew he was in for a lot of torture.

Levi had heard Erwin's words and picked up some spare rope from the stables, understanding the implication of the man's statement. He agreed with it. The short Captain quickly tied up the boy, making sure to secure him firmly.

"Please lead my horse back as well," Erwin muttered to the Captain before he made his way to the cart and settled inside it.

As Levi forced the boy to sit on the Commander's horse while he climbed up onto his own horse, which was pulling the cart, Erwin gently laid Taryn's cushioned Taryn's head on this thigh. He winced at the amount of her blood that covered his white pants. It wasn't the fact that they were stained that bothered him. It was the fact that each drop that had been spilled was such a precious waste.

The cart jolted with a start as Levi spurred his horse to move forward. Erwin cradled Taryn's head as best he could during the ride, trying to make sure that she wasn't shaken around too much. He ran his fingers through her sweat and blood caked hair.

He was relieved to see that he had tied his cloak around her chest tight enough to slow the bleeding down. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but as honest and straightforward as Erwin was, he had always struggled with expressing his emotions.

 _You have a terrible habit of leaving me all the time_ , he thought forlornly, running a thumb over her cheekbone. _No…I just do a horrible job of protecting you…_

It was a depressing realization for the Commander.

* * *

"Put her up on the bed," Hanji commanded.

Erwin stood in the doorway of Hanji's room, watching as Levi lifted Taryn onto the scientist's bed.

"Where's the brat?" Levi asked his friend. Even though his words were spoken emotionlessly, Hanji knew Levi well enough to detect the concern in his eyes for Eren.

"He's in his room, resting. I had to sedate him after he wouldn't stop screaming," she said softly. With this information, Levi nodded and immediately left to go check on the Yeager boy.

Jean, Armin, Connie, and Sasha were all gathered in Hanji's room, their faces pale as they watched Hanji pick up some medical supplies she had. The disturbing image of their comrade's (and in Armin's case, a best friend) seemingly lifeless body on the bed had rendered them silent.

Hanji pulled out a pair of scissors and turned to the small crowd in her room.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you all to leave right now. I have to cut off her clothes to inspect the wound," she said rather awkwardly.

The young soldiers nodded in understanding and quietly filed out of the room. Armin walked up to Taryn, pressing a small kiss onto her brow before leaving.

Once they were gone, Hanji went to wash her hands in a basin of warm water nearby, only to stop when she noticed one remaining person.

"Erwin," she said gently. "You need to leave too. Get some rest."

The Commander stood firm and shook his head. He made his way to Taryn's side and carefully picked up her cold hand in his own. Her pulse was so weak beneath his fingertips…but at least it was there.

"I need to be here, Hanji."

Hanji sighed. "I know you _want_ to be here, but you _need_ to go wash up and rest. I'm sure Taryn wouldn't want you to see her like this," she reminded him.

Erwin frowned. He hadn't thought of that.

"But what if-"

"I'll take complete care of her, Erwin. Trust me," Hanji implored of her friend. With a weary breath, Erwin gave in and nodded. "I'm sure that you have some time to kill with our new friend downstairs as well. Perhaps he's befriended Sanes at this point?" she joked weakly.

At the mention of one of Taryn's torturers, Erwin's expression darkened. Hanji felt a shiver go through her. She was so grateful she was on the Commander's side and not against him. Any torture she and Levi put Sanes through would look like child's play in comparison to Erwin's methods of torture- of this she was certain.

Taryn stirred ever so slightly in his grasp.

"Am I a bad person for dropping everything to run and save her?" Erwin asked softly as he rubbed soft circles onto the young girl's hand with his thumb.

Hanji glared at him. "Of course not, Erwin. You would do the same for any of us. Right?"

When he didn't answer, Hanji felt her glare slip off her face. Had he not heard her?

So she tried again. "Right? ...Erwin?" Her voice contained just the smallest note of pleading and desperation.

But he had heard her. He raised his head to look at his friend dolefully.

"Please just heal her, Hanji. Thank you."

With those words, he left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him, leaving behind a stunned Hanji.

* * *

"How is he?" Levi asked Mikasa, the latter of who was sitting by Eren's side like a loyal guard dog. His hand was firmly clasped in her own.

"Better," she answered shortly. Levi nodded. He pulled up a wooden chair and sat it next to the bed, his eyes never leaving Eren's form.

"What happened?" he asked curiously. Hanji had briefly told him that Eren had had a meltdown when he and Erwin had returned, but that was about it.

Mikasa shook her head, uncharacteristic tears forming in her eyes as she remembered what happened.

"We were…talking," she began slowly, "and he just…started screaming."

Levi rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Just out of nowhere?"

She nodded. "He-He kept scratching at his chest and saying 'it hurts…she's screaming…make her stop…'"

"Her?" his voice was sharp.

They were silent for a few minutes. Both grey-eyed soldiers studied the boy in front of them.

"Armin said the screams he was hearing…he said they were Taryn's…" she said hesitantly. Mikasa looked to Levi for confirmation.

He steel gaze rested on the boy's torso where his hands were resting on his chest.

"You said he was grabbing at his chest in pain?"

Mikasa grunted in acknowledgement.

"Armin might be right, then" Levi sighed tiredly. He suddenly felt a lot older than he actually was. Mikasa's lower lip quivered.

"How is she?"

The Captain stood up and walked over to Eren's side.

"Hanji's taking care of her. Physically, she should heal."

His eyes rested on Eren's face. The boy's brow was furrowed even in his sleep. Levi frowned.

"Emotionally and mentally, though…I'm not so sure."

* * *

Ivan struggled in the chair he had been tied too. Blood stained the seat of the chair. In fact, it seemed to be on every surface. The floors…the walls… even the ceiling was covered with a pattern of the almost black liquid.

He knew the tall, blonde man was standing in the corner of the room behind him, hidden in the shadows. But the man was silent. It scared Ivan more than he would care to admit.

"What the hell do you want from me?" he spat, straining his neck to catch sight of the Commander. When he finally managed to turn around, to his surprise, there was no one standing behind him. That couldn't be right…he had felt a presence…he had watched the man enter the room and walk behind him. He couldn't have disappeared all of a sudden, right?

His question was answered when a firm hand gripped his jaw and spun his face back around to the front. He found himself staring straight into the stormy blue eyes of the blonde man whose gaze was murderous.

"What is your name?" Erwin asked calmly, his voice belying the fire in his eyes.

"It's none of your business, old man," Ivan sneered. Somewhere during the trip to this building, Ivan had been emboldened by his captors' decision not to kill him. He believed that he knew every rule in the torture book, as was sure that he wouldn't give in no matter what they did to him. Plus, he was certain they wouldn't kill him since he had pretty important information.

Erwin cocked a thick, golden eyebrow in false amusement.

"Is that so?" he said with a humourless chuckle.

The Commander turned his head slightly to the right, eyeing a figure standing meekly behind bars.

"What say you, Sanes?"

The tortured man squinted at the boy in the chair through blackened eyes, no thanks to Captain Levi.

"The Weber boy. The one who gave me information to kidnap the Yeager girl. Ivan Weber," he rasped.

Erwin turned back to face his prisoner who had frozen in his seat.

"Ah. So you're Ivan Weber. Related to former cadet Luka Weber, I presume."

The boy stared angrily at the Commander but refused to say a word.

"What were you doing with Taryn Yeager?" Erwin grunted.

"You can't get me to talk, old man," the boy spat.

"Is that right?" Erwin purred. The boy felt an unexpected shiver go through his body at the deadly tone of the Commander's voice. Even Sanes, who was safely behind bars and halfway across the room, shuddered. He wouldn't say that he was glad that he had been tortured and viciously injured by the crazy woman in glasses and the short man who constantly looked constipated, but he sure as hell was happy that he wouldn't be subjected to the wrath of the blonde Commander.

"Y-yeah!" Ivan stuttered.

"You underestimate me," Erwin said simply before turning around to leave the room.

"H-hey! Where are you going?" Ivan yelled. He grunted while twisting around and kicking in his seat, trying to loosen his restraints. "Hey! Come back, you-you coward!"

Erwin didn't answer or look back as he left the dungeon.

"Fuck!" Ivan shrieked as he violently jerked against the chair, fruitlessly working towards freedom.

"You're in for it now, boy," Sanes sighed from the corner, pity tingeing his tone.

* * *

It had been five days. Five days of nothing but pure torture for Ivan. He wanted to just die at this point, but the Commander wouldn't let him. Just when he could feel himself succumbing to the comfortable, warm darkness of death, Erwin would literally slap him out of it.

Ivan was tired, in pain, hungry, thirsty... It didn't feel to good to be on the receiving end of torture, he decided to himself.

The soft clinking of metal coming from beside him made him look up. The Commander was standing by a table full of torture tools. They were covered with blood…but not Ivan's blood. Ivan shuddered.

Erwin clutched something in his hand and began walking towards the boy. Ivan blinked, his vision blurry and filled with black spots, a result of exhaustion, dehydration and undernourishment. But then, the wet _splash_ of liquid inside the cut met his ears.

"W-wader?" he tried to say. His tongue was dry and made him gag when he attempted to move it. His mouth was dry and his throat burned. It was the result of another one of Erwin's torture techniques. When the boy got thirsty, Erwin refused to give him fresh water. Instead, he gave him salt water.

No matter how much salt water a person drank, they would always be doubly as thirsty as before. The body would work hard to get rid of the massive amounts of salt in the bloodstream, getting rid of a lot of water as well, leaving the victim severely dehydrated.

To keep him alive, Erwin would give the boy at least three sips of fresh water a day- just enough to keep him from fully dehydrating, but not enough to keep him from feeling the pain of dehydration.

"Thirsty?" Erwin asked coldly. Ivan nodded, his eyes gleaming with desperation. "Open up," the man murmured.

Ivan eagerly opened his mouth and felt the sweet relief of cool water fill his mouth as Erwin poured a small amount in. Then as quickly as it came, Erwin stopped pouring the water, taking it away from the boy who whined in distress.

"Enjoy it while you can. That's they last bit of fresh water you're getting," the Commander said as he poured out the rest of the water onto the ground in front of Ivan. _Last bit of fresh water?_ Ivan felt terror wash over him. Was the Commander tired of questioning him? Was he just going to kill him now? Was this how Taryn had felt when he tortured her?

It had been five days of nonstop torture and Erwin was getting frustrated. Hanji hadn't let him even visit Taryn during those five days. First off, she was ticked off at him, not that he could blame her for that, but also she said (using Moblit as her messenger since she didn't want to speak directly to Erwin) that Taryn was still out cold, although the girl was slowly healing. Erwin was on edge from being separated from Taryn for so long.

Levi had come down occasionally to help him out, but he remained with Mikasa and Eren for the most part.

"I'll tell you what you want!" Ivan screamed desperately. He didn't care about betraying the spectacled man at this point. All he wanted was his freedom, even though the chances for that were slim to none given his torture of Taryn.

Erwin set the tin cup down on the table and then turned to face his prisoner.

"Tell me who that man is," he said firmly, referring to the spectacled man.

Once Levi had let Erwin know that during his fight with the man, the spectacled man had disappeared in a cloud of hot steam and a flash of bright light that had temporarily blinded Levi, Erwin knew that they were dealing with another titan-shifter. He had a good idea of which titan this man was as well…he just needed this boy to confirm his thoughts.

"H-he… I mean, you won't believe me…if I tell you," the boy muttered, hanging his head despondently.

"Try me."

Ivan took a deep breath before answering.

* * *

Hanji had holed herself up in the room with Taryn for the past few days. She refused to leave it except for bathroom breaks. Moblit was kind enough to bring food up for her, although he tried his hardest to get her out of the room. But no. As Hanji put it, _Not even Moblit's adorable face will make me want to see Erwin_. Moblit had turned bright red at those words and left the room as a stuttering mess.

Now she sat by Taryn's side, checking the girl's wounds every few hours and redressing them. For someone who wasn't a titan, the girl was healing relatively quickly, and it puzzled Hanji to no end. Within three days of getting the wounds, her skin had begun to grow over the wound, even over the stitches Hanji had put in, prompting the scientist to quickly remove them.

It was now just an angry red gash running down her sternum. But Hanji sighed as she observed the rest of the girl's body. Yellowing bruises, black burn marks and scabs covered her body. This girl had clearly been to hell and back. Goodness knows what mental torture she must have gone through as well.

Hanji turned back to her table to continue writing some notes on the information Moblit had given her about their newest captive, a.k.a Ivan Weber. He definitely intrigued her, especially the fact that he had managed to escape the titans that had decimated his village. How curious.

Even though she tried her hardest to concentrate on her notes, Erwin's face kept flashing in her mind. She could feel sadness tugging at her. She was supposed to be one of Erwin's best friends…would he really not rush to her aid if she were in serious trouble? Even Levi? She had told him to be selfish about his feelings, but it hadn't occurred to her that Erwin might already be an incredibly selfish being.

Three sharp knocks on the door pulled her out of her reveries. Taryn stirred in her sleep at the loud noise, a low groan leaving her mouth.

Hanji huffed and got out of her seat and walked to the door. She opened it just a crack to see who it was and slammed it shut almost immediately when she caught sight of bright blue eyes. Except…a large boot shoved itself between the door and the doorframe, keeping it from shutting completely. Erwin didn't even flinch at the painful force of the door hitting his foot.

"Go away," Hanji hissed childishly.

"No." Erwin could be just as childishly stubborn if need be. Hanji pouted.

"You can't see her yet!"

Erwin scrunched his nose. "I don't care. I need to see her," he pleaded. Hanji's brown eyes slightly softened when she heard the openly desperate tone of his voice.

He was still her best friend. She sighed and slumped her shoulders wearily.

"Only for a few minutes," she said grudgingly and opened the door fully, allowing the Commander to walk in for the first time in days.

Erwin nodded gratefully to the scientist before slowly walking over to the sleeping form of Taryn Yeager. His eyes quickly ran over her body, subconsciously looking for any improvements in her health. He noticed that she was covered in clean clothes. In fact, Hanji had made sure to clean the girl fully, washing her from head to toe. It wouldn't do to have dirt fall into her wounds and mess up any of her healing progress.

He reached out a trembling hand and entangled his fingers in her now, clean and blood-free curls. Her hair was as soft as ever.

Taryn didn't respond to the touch, but that was fine. As long as she was okay. As long as her chest was still moving up and down, Erwin was glad. Even though the color had come back to her skin, she was still paler than before due to her confinement away from the sun.

"How is she?" he asked Hanji quietly, his eyes glued to Taryn's face. Her lower lip had been cut, but it was healing now- just a dark line remained on the plump flesh.

"Better. She should be up and about in a week," Hanji disclosed, walking back over to her chair to collapse into it tiredly. Erwin seated himself on the bed next to Taryn, now gently stroking her hair.

"How's Eren?"

At this, Hanji looked a little disheartened. "I'm not to sure. Levi and Mikasa are taking care of him… but he hasn't come down to visit Taryn even once…" she mused.

That struck Erwin as strange seeing as how close the two siblings were. He would have to go and speak to the boy later on.

"Has she woken up yet?" he asked, running his fingers down her cheek. She was warm to the touch, but not in a feverish way. It was in an…alive way.

"She woke up a few times, but always fell back asleep. I think she has a lot of nightmares," Hanji admitted sadly.

Erwin didn't doubt it. It would take a very long time for Taryn to forget those terrible memories of being tortured. This admission from Hanji only made him more resolved to hurt the Weber boy until he was in the same state as Taryn…or even worse.

Now it was Hanji's turn to ask Erwin a question.

"H-how is the Weber boy?" she asked cautiously. She had noticed the small droplets of blood that clung to the Commander's shirt and pants but made no comment on it.

"He gave me the information we needed. It should be easy enough to dispose of him now."

Hanji was shocked at the words. She didn't know why since it would make sense to kill the boy who had hurt one of their soldiers and plotted the destruction of humanity…but the way Erwin had said it was so…callous. So…not human.

"You're going to kill him…already?"

Erwin didn't respond. He just gripped Taryn's hand tightly in his own, unwilling to let her disappear from his sight now that he had gotten the chance to see her.

Hanji decided to change topics and ask him about something else.

"Erwin," she began seriously. She watched as his shoulders stiffened…Ah, so he knew what she was going to ask him. Smart man.

"I need an honest answer from you," she said firmly. Erwin moved his head an almost infinitesimal amount. Good, so he had acknowledged her statement. She continued. "Would you really not help me or Levi if we were in trouble?"

She held her breath after asking, afraid of the Commander's answer. He didn't give an answer for a very long time. The silence that hung in the room was heavy with unspoken tension.

"Do you know why I asked Levi to join the Corps? Why I took him out of the Underworld on the basis of saving humanity?" Erwin asked finally, not taking his gaze off of Taryn.

"To make him use his abilities for good?" she answered hesitantly, confused at the question.

He shook his head. "Because he was another pawn for me."

Hanji's brown eyes widened dramatically.

"A…pawn?" she mouthed silently.

Erwin looked up and met Hanji's eyes with his own. Hanji flinched back at the emptiness in her friend's blue eyes.

"You, Mike and Levi are my closest friends. I care about you all. But never to the point of sacrificing my life for you. My entire life has been devoted to fighting for…for my own sake. I fooled others into thinking about my interest in humanity…" he paused and sighed. "I fooled myself as well… I've never felt that way about anyone…not before…" he trailed off and glanced at the girl sleeping beside him.

They both remained silent until Erwin spoke up, his voice so quiet Hanji had to strain to hear his words.

"I'm a selfish bastard, Hanji. More selfish than you could ever imagine…"

Hanji quietly agreed. That was clear now. Although she felt bothered by the revelation that Erwin was actually using people that were supposed to be his friends as pawns, that wouldn't stop Hanji from caring about him. She knew that she would throw everything to the side and run into harm's way to save Moblit. He was precious to her. But so were Levi and Erwin. Mike had been as well.

"Well, if she's the only person you feel that way about," Hanji began in a defeated voice, "…then you'd better defend her with your life, Erwin. Never let her come into harm's way again," she commanded.

Erwin's eyes widened slightly in surprise at his friend's tone. He nodded.

"I will," he promised his friend solemnly. He would try ten times harder to keep this girl safe.

"She'll wake up soon. Possibly even by tonight. Why don't you take a break from the Weber boy?" Hanji suggested, sensing her friend's reluctance to leave the room. Erwin nodded. It would do him good to stay away from that kid. "I'll go check on Eren," she said with a groan as she jumped up from her seat. Hanji walked out of the room and shut the door behind her, but not before she got one last look inside and heard Erwin murmur something.

He had cupped Taryn's cheek in his hand and his eyes burned brightly. She unconsciously nuzzled her face against his palm, enjoying the cool temperature of his hand.

"I won't fail you again," he whispered to the sleeping girl.

* * *

Eren was sitting on his bed, brooding quietly. Levi and Hanji had just left the room, right after Hanji finished checking over Eren and updating him on Taryn's progress. Mikasa was sitting on a chair next to the bed, gazing out the window at nothing in particular.

"You should go eat dinner, Mikasa," Eren grunted.

Mikasa blinked slowly. "I'm not hungry," she replied.

Eren rolled his eyes. They sat in silence for a while.

"Why haven't you gone to see Taryn yet?" Mikasa asked after a while.

Eren stiffened slightly. Mikasa noticed his fist clenching and unclenching.

"I can't," he finally bit out.

Mikasa turned to look at him, her grey eyes regarded him coolly.

"She's your sister. She'd give up her life for you if she needed too. You could at least-"

"I KNOW, ALRIGHT?!" Eren yelled loudly. Mikasa looked stunned. Eren's eyes glistened as tears threatened to appear - but this time, she didn't say anything about them. She wouldn't injure his pride again…not if she wanted him to let her stay close to him.

She got up from the chair and crossed the room and seated herself right next to him. Their thighs brushed against each other, but either Eren didn't notice or he didn't care.

"I can't see her…because…I didn't protect her. She could have died because of me…" he said, guilt flooding his features. Mikasa was confused.

"But Eren," she said slowly, "there was nothing you could do besides listen for her and tell the Commander. And you did do that."

He glared at her. "Mom died because I couldn't save her! I almost lost Taryn too!" he growled.

 _Oh_ …Mikasa understood now. He was reliving the death of Carla Yeager…his mother. She felt slightly irritated. Sure, it was devastating to lose a parent and to almost lose a sister…but she was tired of his sulking and whining.

"Eren... you need to stop complaining! Do you think your mother would appreciate the way you're behaving if she saw you?" she exclaimed loudly.

Eren was stunned into silence. Mikasa had never raised her voice against him. She had never been annoyed with him, or if she had been, she never said anything about it.

They sat quietly for a while. Mikasa inconspicuously turned away from Eren so that he could quickly dry his eyes. To her surprise, she felt a warm, firm hand wrap around hers. She looked at Eren, surprised to see his cheeks dusted with pink.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you again," he sighed apologetically. A small smile appeared on Mikasa's lips.

"That's alright," she said wearily. She felt slightly bad for yelling at him. Suddenly an idea occurred to her. It was extremely bold and very uncharacteristic of her, but her pride and determination refused to let her turn away from the idea. "You can make up for it," she whispered almost shyly. She could feel her cheeks burning.

Eren, being the naïve boy that he was, didn't catch on, but he wanted to please her. He cocked his head to the side, those bright green eyes burning into hers.

"How?" he asked curiously.

Mikasa found herself staring at his lips once again. Her mind screamed at her to stop going forward with this, but she ignored it. She was going to get what she wanted, gosh darn it.

"D-don't move," she said quietly yet firmly.

Eren stared at her in confusion, but complied anyways. He sat still, watching her with a mix of puzzlement and intrigue.

She rearranged herself so that she was kneeling down right in front of Eren, their faces lined up at the same level. Mikasa balled her hands into fists and gritted her teeth. It was now or never. She had a feeling that Taryn would be cheering her on.

 _You can do this_ , she told herself.

"Mikasa?" Eren asked, raising an eyebrow.

She said nothing but leaned forward slowly, keeping her eyes focused on Eren's mouth.

Right as her lips were but a centimeter away from his, Eren finally seemed to catch on. His breath audibly hitched and his cheeks turned bright red. Yet…he didn't protest. He didn't turn his face away and he didn't push her back to scold her. Encouraged, she closed the gap between them and finally… _finally_ …brushed her lips against his.

It was a chaste kiss, but both of them felt their hearts speed up to the point where they feared they might have a heart attack. His lips were so warm and soft. It was better than anything she could have imagined.

Mikasa pulled back slightly after the initial contact to gauge his reaction. Eren sat there, his eyes wide opened with stunned surprise.

"E-Eren?" Mikasa ventured timidly.

Suddenly, he launched forward and pressed his lips against hers, catching her by surprise. It was awkward since neither of them had kissed anyone before, filled with teeth clicking and nose bumping…but it was still perfect. It was a kiss filled with hunger, fire, desperation, frustration and oh so much passion.

It was a kiss that was so innocent and tentative yet so… intimate.

With a trembling hand, Eren threaded his fingers through her silky, black hair, cupping the back of her head and pressing her even closer to him. He wanted to taste more of her- the taste he had forbidden himself from partaking in for so long. A soft moan left Mikasa's mouth as she felt his tongue gently trace the outline of her lower lip.

Mikasa didn't close her eyes for one second, strange as it might seem. She was scared that if she did close her eyes, she would only open them to find out that Eren was gone and it had been just a dream. With grey eyes that sparkled for once, she drank in the image of Eren kissing her, his cheeks and ears flushed with colour. His long, brown eyelashes rested on his cheekbones. She felt a tear slip down her cheek at this sight of an Eren she had never seen before- an Eren that didn't have a furrowed brow or an angry expression.

He was breathtaking. He was finally hers.

* * *

 **A/N:** I saw the new Star Wars movie and let me just say, as someone who has grown up with the SW series, read most of the books, owns a 7 foot cardboard cutout of Darth Vader, has SW Vans and many other SW related things…I was not disappointed. I teared up because I was so happy. Go watch the movie! You won't regret it!

The song for this chapter totally represents Erwin (in my head at least). Can you imagine an angry Erwin walking in and destroying shit with those devastating eyebrows? Like damn- the world will end when Erwin is pissed…hence the title "Hell Hath no Fury Like an Erwin Scorned". I couldn't wait to use that title.

Also, I hope you liked the EreMika I put in this chapter, since I kind of ignored them in the last chapter (whoops…much remorse). Oh! And I just read the newest chapter of SnK and goodness! You learn a lot more about Erwin's character there and it's just…intensely dark…so I will be keeping that information in account when writing him out. If he seems darker in the rest of the story-well it's because he actually is.

Thank you to **dareaderreads, nina fo life, lovinurbuks, dark demon122, nuuk, skinnyboy282,** and the ever so lovely **guest(s)**. You guys are awesome and I love you with every fiber of my heart!

 **Please keep leaving reviews (even if it's to say hi or tell me that you like it/things can be improved), just so that I know that there's someone out there reading this story besides myself**. All favourites/follows are much appreciated as well!


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** Real A/N at the end. Beware of rogue ghosties and zombie-…oh wait…no zombies? Oh sorry…beware of **spoilers** (although I don't think there are any in this chapter). It's up to your discretion to read. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Twelve: My Own Monster

 _"_ _Monster,  
_ _How should I feel?  
_ _Creatures lie here,  
_ _Looking through the window…_ _"_

 _(Monster- Meg & Dia)_

* * *

 _The stench of blood hung heavily in the air around him, causing him to wrinkle his nose in disgust. Commander Erwin thought that he would have been used to the never ending reek of death that followed him like an irritating shadow, but it still caught him by surprise every time._

 _Titans were approaching the wall at a rapid pace. Erwin furrowed his brow as he looked around for his soldiers, ready to bark out commands…only…there was no one there…_

 _All the rooftops were empty. The top of the wall was devoid of soldiers._

 _"_ _Levi!" he shouted, looking around for his best friend. The short, raven-haired Captain didn't respond. The Commander could feel his heart quickening._

 _"_ _Hanji?!" No response._

 _Eren wasn't there. Jean, Armin, Mikasa, Connie and Sasha were missing as well. None of his soldiers stood by him. The town was empty of any human life besides himself._

 _Fear pooled in the pit of his stomach as he began to try and run forward, desperate to find any sign of life around him. He almost tripped and stumbled after his first step though._

 _"_ _What the-" he muttered, looking down to see what he had tripped on. The sight that met him would remain imprinted in his mind forever._

 _An arm. It was an arm that he had tripped on. An arm that was attached to the dead body of…Sasha Blouse. The normally bright and cheerful girl was now dead, her brown eyes lifeless and her skin pale. Erwin backed up only to feel his boots sink into something soft. A squelching noise sounded beneath his feet. Gritting his teeth and bracing himself, he looked behind him to see more bodies._

 _He was standing on a mountain of corpses._

 _Many had the unfamiliar faces of the townsfolk who had been devoured by the titans…but more of them were the familiar faces he did know. Mike's leg was under the heel of his boot, those dark, dead eyes staring at the Commander accusingly. Erwin flinched. Eren Jaeger lay some ways down the mountain, his swollen hand reaching out to hold the bloodless hand of Mikasa Ackerman. Armin Arlert's blond hair was matter with blood as half of his skull had been crushed in._

 _Dead Levi._

 _Dead Hanji._

 _Dead Mike._

 _Erwin felt his stomach heave painfully as the need to vomit emerged. The scent of blood was replaced with the stench of rotting bodies and the Commander's guilt._

 _He was startled when something latched onto his ankle._

 _Erwin shut his eyes and swallowed down the bitter bile that threatened to leave his mouth. His hands were clenched tight fists that caused his blunt nails to dig into the calloused flesh of his palm. Blood trickled down his hands. He wasn't an easy man to scare, but at the moment, he dreaded to look down and see what was holding onto him._

 _Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and looked down to see the small tanned hand of Taryn Jaeger holding onto his ankle. He froze. A rattling breath ran through her body as she gasped for air. A sick grin was on her blue-mottled lips as her dead eyes looked up at him._

 _His blood went cold when he noticed a large stake of wood sticking out from her back, the part touching her skin surrounded by a large stain of red._

 _"_ _No…" he breathed, dropping to his knees and reaching out to hold her. She coughed weakly._

 _"_ _It was never going to be a titan that killed me," she rasped before succumbing to a fit of coughing. Blood leaked out of the corner of her mouth and dribbled down her chin. Her fingers gently tapped the wooden stake that was sticking out of her chest._

 _Erwin's eyes widened at her words. "Then who?" he whispered._

 _She stared at him accusingly, her brown eyes hard yet empty. It scared Erwin. This wasn't Taryn…it was a corpse wearing Taryn's face._

 _"_ _You."_

Erwin shot up from his resting position, his breath coming out in rough, heavy pants. His body was covered in sticky sweat _._ A paper stuck to his face in a haphazard manner given that he had apparently fallen asleep at Hanji's desk. He pulled the paper off and tossed it to the corner of the desk.

The stress of this war was really getting to him. Taryn's injury and his new captive were just adding to that.

He stood up from his seat and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Taryn was still peacefully sleeping on the bed. Erwin's brow furrowed as his dream came back to him. He quietly moved to stand by the bed.

In the dim lighting of the room, lit by only a few candles, it was hard to see Taryn's chest rising and falling slowly as she breathed. He slowly reached out a trembling hand to pull back the blanket covering her body. As he peeled the material off, he was relieved to see that there was not a large puddle of blood pooled up on her chest. No wooden stake either.

With a sigh, he covered her up again and sat on the edge of the bed, right next to her legs. He hunched over and leaned his face in his hand, emotionally and mentally exhausted as hell. The Commander could only begin to imagine how crappy he must have looked.

"You must be really tired of rescuing me all the time," came a soft, sleep-ridden voice.

Erwin raised his head in surprise and looked to see Taryn yawning deeply. Her eyes were barely open, but when she saw him looking at her, she offered him a faint smile.

"Taryn," he breathed, blue eyes running hungrily over her face as he committed it to memory. This was the Taryn he knew…not the dead, emotionless one from his dream. He suppressed a shudder at the thought of the dream.

"Where am I?" she asked as she struggled to sit up. A sharp pain ran through her chest at the movement causing her to gasp and fall back down. Erwin caught her neck in his hand before her head hit the pillow.

"Don't move much…your body is still healing," he murmured as he gently laid her head down. She nodded in agreement, taking deep breaths and willing the pain away. "We're in Hanji's room. She's been taking care of you. Apparently you're healing a lot faster than a person normally should, even with the abilities you possess. Hanji's out testing some of your blood to understand why," he explained levelly, still trying to process the fact that she was alive and awake- a little damaged, but still breathing and conscious.

Taryn furrowed her brow for a moment as she thought over his words.

"She can keep testing, but I think I know why I'm healing quickly," she said quietly. She opened her mouth to launch into an explanation, but the dull pain in her chest made her wince.

Erwin chuckled. "You can tell me later. Right now, we just need to make sure that you rest."

"Where's Eren?" she asked, looking around the room as much as her limited movement would allow. He noticed a flicker of hurt and disappointment appear in her eyes when she realized that her brother wasn't in the room.

"He's upstairs with Mr. Arlert and your sister." Erwin didn't want to worry the girl by telling her what Eren experienced during her own torture. The guilt would surely drive her mad.

She nodded again. Suddenly, a frown pulled the corner of her lips down as thoughts and memories began to flood her mind.

"Erwin…" she began slowly, "what happened to…to Ivan? And the other man?"

The Commander looked reluctant to respond.

"Please? I-I need to know," she said quietly.

He sighed. "Weber is being held downstairs in the basement. I've been…questioning him."

Taryn raised an eyebrow at his choice of words.

"He doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you're getting better," he said in a haste. He watched as she scrunched her nose up in the way that meant she didn't believe him, but she let it go for the time being.

There was a slightly awkward silence hanging in the room until Erwin decided to break it, a small, wry small on his lips.

"Want to tell me your thoughts on why you're healing quickly?"

* * *

Hanji stuck her tongue between her teeth as she peered at the blood sample in the eyedropper held in her hand. She moved her hand slowly and carefully to the glass slide in front of her, getting ready to leave one drop on the slide in order to study it. She was incredibly curious about how Taryn was healing so quickly.

Her eyes were narrowed as her hand hovered over the slide, her fingers getting ready to press the eyedropper…

"Shitty Glasses!"

"ARGH!"

Hanji squawked in surprise and jumped out of her seat, accidentally squeezing the eyedropper firmly and expelling all the blood from inside it onto her white pants. She looked around and caught sight of Captain Levi standing at the door, his expression torn between heavy disapproval, irritation and amusement.

"Leviiii…" she whined, looking at the bloodstain on her pants and pouting.

"Is it that time of the month already?" he grunted.

Hanji looked confused. "Unless I menstruate from my knees…" She frowned. "Levi, your understanding of the female anatomy is appalling…"

Levi rolled his grey eyes. "It's not like I need to know about it in any case," he muttered inaudibly.

"What were you doing anyways?" he asked, plopping down on a nearby chair with a low, tired groan.

Hanji picked up her now empty eyedropper and went to sit in her chair again. She grabbed a slightly dirty towel from one of the drawers and dabbed it on the stain.

"I _was_ getting ready to study Taryn's blood…but some midget came and made me lose my entire sample," she muttered pointedly.

Levi shrugged. "What's so interesting about the brat's blood?"

"She's healing a lot quicker than we expected given that she's fully human," Hanji mused.

"Tch…are you sure we aren't dealing with another titan-shifter? It could be possible that she just hasn't been able to shift forms yet," he said, his eyes narrowing in distate at having to deal with another titan-brat.

Hanji shook her head. "No, we're sure that Eren's the only titan-shifter out of the two siblings. She can communicate with them but not shift."

Levi didn't look convinced.

Hanji sighed. "From observation, we've seen that Eren's, and even Annie Leonhart's, transformations were set off by a small injury and a good amount of determination. Taryn Yeager has been injured a good number of times, and we all know that she has a healthy amount of determination, yet she hasn't shown any signs of transforming even once. Therefore, we can come to the conclusion that she is not a titan-shifter."

Hanji concluded her lengthy speech with a bright smile that disappeared when she noticed that Levi had nodded off. She pouted.

"Levi! Eren's transforming outside!" she yelped.

Levi woke up with a loud snort. "I'm going to kill that fucking brat," he slurred as he jumped out of the chair. Hanji burst out into loud laughter.

The small Captain realized Hanji's trick and snarled angrily at her. "Fucking idiotic scientist…" he muttered, sitting back down.

After Hanji's snorting laughter subsided, she sighed, her enthusiastic expression fading quickly.

"Hey, Levi?" she said softly.

"Hmm?"

"Do you consider Erwin to be your friend?"

Levi looked at her in surprise. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged. "I know you trust him…but, if you were in mortal danger, do you trust that he would come to save you?"

Levi studied Hanji carefully. She looked rather uncharacteristically despondent. The unspoken reasoning behind her question dawned on him and he actually felt a rare surge of sympathy for the woman.

He cleared his throat. "I trust…" He paused. "I trust that Erwin would do what he thought was best."

"E-Even if it meant not coming to help you?" she asked quietly.

He nodded. But Hanji couldn't let it go.

"We've known him for years- for more than a decade actually. Why…" she took a deep breath before continuing. "Why would he leave everything for someone he's known for barely a year?"

Levi sighed. "Hanji…you know why. In fact, weren't you the one who encouraged him…?"

She nodded slowly.

"He does care about us, Shitty Glasses. In his own way. He may be smart and tough, but he's still human. After Marie…he didn't want to love someone and put their life at risk. He didn't want to put his own feelings at risk either. But I guess that brat woke something up in him. He's probably realizing that isolation isn't a solution in this world. We all need someone. He has the brat. You have Moblit. And I…I have a freaky friend who uses shitty eyewear."

Even though he mumbled that last sentence in an almost incoherent manner, Hanji heard it loud and clear.

Her jaw dropped open. "Levi…" she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes.

"What?" he asked.

She sprinted across the room and clung to him, bawling loudly.

"WAHHHHH! LEVI, YOU DO HAVE A HEART! THAT WAS THE NICEST THING YOU'VE EVER SAID TO ME, WAHHHHH!"

"TCH! GET OFF OF ME YOU OVERGROWN FREAK!"

"LEVI LOVES ME!"

"NO I DON'T. FUCK YOU, SHITTY GLASSES."

"I LOVE YOU TOO, SHORTY!"

Three minutes later, Levi kicked Hanji out of the room. She got up and cheerfully walked to the courtyard, proudly sporting a busted lip courtesy of Levi's fist.

She told everyone that it was a sign of their affectionate friendship.

If asked if what she said was true, Captain Levi would snort and roll his eyes. But if one looked close enough, you could see the smallest of smiles on his lips.

* * *

"How long do I have to stay in this bed?" Taryn huffed as Erwin walked back into the room, holding onto a brown, leather bag that was strapped across his chest. She eyed the item curiously as he took it off and set it down near the bed while seating himself next to her feet.

He placed his hand on her shin and rubbed it gently.

"Hanji said it would take a full week for you to fully heal."

"But I'm alr-"

"Not just external scars, Taryn. Possible internal damage as well," Erwin cut her off before she could protest further.

She pouted and rolled her eyes. Erwin found himself greatly amused at her antics. With a soft chuckle, he bent down and plucked a few books out from the leather bag and handed them to her.

"Hopefully these can keep you occupied during the week."

Taryn gratefully accepted them, peering eagerly through the titles. She suddenly smiled slyly and looked up at him.

"Aw, and here I thought you'd be keeping me occupied all week," she smirked.

Erwin raised a thick eyebrow at the insinuation and felt his lips twitch. "I'm sure you can entertain yourself, Ms. Yeager…"

They both laughed. After a few minutes of residing laughter and the calm silence that followed, Erwin studied Taryn, his mood sobering up quickly.

She was already reading the first book with great interest, her eyes animatedly dancing across the pages.

"Taryn," he said.

"Hmm?" she looked up to meet his gaze. She was quite surprised to see how serious it was.

"Do you…do you want to talk about what happened in the basement back there?"

Erwin was slightly nervous. Taryn had been through an extremely traumatic experience that would cause most people to shut down and carry heavy psychological issues for them. Ever since she had woken up, he had seen nothing but smiles and laughter from her. She was happy.

He frowned. Maybe she was _too_ happy…

At his question, Taryn froze for a moment. Then she quickly shook her head.

"No. I'm fine, thank you. What happened…happened. There's nothing to talk about," she said with forced cheerfulness.

Erwin didn't want to push her. She would talk when she was ready. Or at least he hoped she would. He looked at her thoughtfully. Maybe she would feel more comfortable talking to her brother about the experience. Or Cadet Arlert? The Commander considered bringing the topic up with one of them later on.

"Are you sure?" he asked one more time, just for confirmation. Taryn opened her mouth as if to say something, but quickly shut it and forced a smile.

"I'm sure," she said. "Commander?" He internally winced at the formal use of his title. Was she shutting him out now?

"Yes, Taryn," he said, emphasizing his use of her name.

"Would you mind getting me a glass of water? I'm pretty thirsty right now."

Erwin nodded and pushed himself off the bed. He began walking to the door before suddenly pausing.

Taryn noticed the pause and looked at him in confusion. He slowly walked back to her side, his tall figure looming over her own. His hands were steeled into fists by his sides.

"Sir?" she asked softly, those large brown eyes looking at him with an unspoken question in them. A faint pinkish color had risen up his neck, almost invisible to her gaze. Almost.

Before he could change his mind, Erwin leaned down and carefully brushed his lips against her forehead. At the contact, he felt her flinch, yet she didn't move away. Her skin was soft…and warm…

She was alive. That fact was still sinking in for him.

After a few seconds, he pulled away and abruptly turned around, quickly striding to the door and leaving the room. He didn't close the door fully, deciding to leave it open a bit, just in case she needed something else.

As Erwin walked away from the room, he heard a quiet sound coming from it. He paused his walk down the corridor to listen. When he realized what it was, his heart sunk to his stomach.

The soft sound of muffled sobs floated into the hallway from the room he had just left.

* * *

Eren stood outside the wooden door, his heart in his mouth. He couldn't understand why he was so nervous. It was his own sister for goodness sakes!

After some persuasion from Mikasa (nonverbal persuasion given their new relationship, of course), he dragged his feet downstairs to Hanji's room. The only reason he was loathe to see her was because he didn't think he could stand the guilt that would crush him if he saw Taryn. He shook his head and took a deep breath. He missed his sister more than anything. He could do this.

Eren finally got the guts to turn the doorknob and step inside the room. To his surprise, he saw Taryn standing in the middle of the room, stretching luxuriously. She was wearing a large, white button-up shirt that was only half-way buttoned. It draped down to the middle of her thighs, the latter of which were covered with a loose pair of black slacks. He winced when he noticed her chest wrapped with large white bandages. The rest of her skin was covered with healed wounds.

He shut the door behind him, the sound attracting his sister's attention. She turned around and her brown eyes widened with excitement when she saw him.

"Eren!" she yelped before sprinting towards him at full speed and throwing her arms around his neck.

At the first physical contact with his sister, any fear or guilt that Eren had been harboring completely vanished as Taryn nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. He held her as tightly as he could without hurting her.

"I'm sorry for not visiting sooner," he muttered abashedly.

He felt her smile into his skin.

"Don't be. I'm just glad you're alright."

Eren breathed in her familiar, comforting scent. His only blood-related family member left. He hugged her tighter. The young boy never wanted to lose her again.

The two were so wrapped up in their own little world, that neither of them heard the door to the room creak open. Suddenly, an excited voice screamed loudly.

"GROUP HUG!"

The two siblings were enveloped in a bone-crushing hug by none other than Hanji.

"Oi. Woman. Let them go before you kill them," came a bored voice from somewhere behind them.

"But they're so cute!" Hanji whined, pinching both Yeagers' cheeks.

"Hanji…" came another voice, except this one was filled with amusement and the slightest tinge of pity.

"But, Erwin…Oh fine," Hanji pouted, releasing the two from her suffocating hug.

Both Eren and Taryn gasped for air as Hanji moved away from them. Taryn clung onto Eren's shoulder for support as she gulped large breaths of fresh air.

"What are you doing here?" Eren asked the three older soldiers.

"Hanji just wanted to check in on Taryn. But now since you're here too, it's time for dinner, brat," Levi said to Eren.

Eren nodded and looked to his sister. "I'll bring some up for you."

Taryn smiled gratefully at her little brother and kissed him on the cheek before he walked out with both Hanji and Levi. Erwin lingered behind.

"You look a lot better. A week in bed definitely helped," he mused. Taryn nodded and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Nothing hurts anymore and it feels great to be able to walk around again…"

There was an awkward silence. Neither had spoken of the small kiss Erwin had given Taryn the week before, and it seemed as if neither wanted to bring it up. It bothered Erwin slightly that she had apparently forgot about it, or even worse, was ignoring it.

"Um, Commander?" Taryn asked hesitantly.

Erwin snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Taryn. She was looking at him with a steely resolve.

"Yes, Taryn?"

The next words out of her mouth were not ones the blonde Commander had expected to hear.

"Can I go down to the basement to visit Ivan?"

Erwin didn't answer at first. He was caught off guard by her request. Why in the world would she want to visit the monster who tortured her to the brink of insanity? Taryn seemed to understand the bewilderment he felt as it was clear on his face.

"Please?"

The Commander wasn't sure. After he had decided to "dispose of" Ivan, he hadn't actually visited the basement since Taryn woke up. He had no need to. He was certain that if he saw that bastard again, he might end up killing the kid with his bare hand.

They had long since released Sanes, leaving Ivan alone in the basement, a victim to his wild, scary imagination. He was getting fresh water twice a day now and stale bread every other day. But other than that, no one bothered with him. No more torture, no more questions…

How would Taryn react to seeing him again?

Erwin sighed. "Alright. Let's go after dinner." He turned to leave, slightly frustrated at Taryn's desire to see her former captor, when he felt a soft hand on his arm.

He looked down to meet Taryn's eyes. "Thank you, sir," she said quietly.

* * *

It was cold…damp…dark…

The chains cut deeply into his wrists. His knees hurt from kneeling on the hard, stone floor. He refused to lean against the wall since it was covered in dried blood.

Ever since the blonde Commander had left him in the dungeon with an impending death sentence, Ivan was plagued with paranoia…scared that he'd be dragged out and killed he dozed off for even a second. Due to this fear, he made sure that he never slept. It was pure torture. He began to experience hallucinations just like Taryn had.

So when both Taryn and the Commander walked into the dungeon, Ivan chalked it up as another hallucination.

Except, this time it was slightly strange. Normally, when he hallucinated, the Commander would storm in, rip him out of his chains and beat him up. Taryn would appear in his hallucinations as well, cutting him to the core with horrid words. But now, both just stood silently before him. The silence scared him more than any of the other hallucinations.

He noticed that the Commander's hands were clenched into tight fists, as if the man was restraining himself greatly.

Ivan heard Taryn gasp slightly as she saw his face. His cheeks were hollow. Dark bags hung under his hazel eyes, the latter of which were dead and expressionless. His black hair hung limply over his forehead.

"Sir," he heard her whisper softly. "Can I speak to him alone?"

Immediately, Erwin protested. "Taryn, he's dangerous. You know what he did to you. You can't expect me to really leave you alone with him?"

"I need this, Erwin. Please," she begged.

He heard the Commander grunt with irritation. "Five minutes. And I'll be standing right outside the door. If you need anything, let me know immediately," he demanded firmly. Taryn nodded in relief.

Before the Commander left, Ivan watched as the man placed his hand on the young girl's shoulder and whisper something to her. Her brown eyes widened slightly as a flash of pain ran through them. She shook his hand off and muttered, "I know."

The man left the room and shut the door behind him, the loud sound of the action echoing through the room.

He watched as the girl he had kidnapped not long ago walked up to him, only stopping a foot in front of him. She knelt down so that her face was level with his.

"Come to torture me some more?" he asked wryly.

Taryn flinched at the roughness of his voice.

"Why would I do that?" she asked as she sat down on the dungeon floor, crossing her legs over one another so that she would be more comfortable.

"Because you always have. With your words…" he muttered. Taryn looked surprised.

"I've never been down here before, Ivan."

Ivan's head snapped up at the sound of his name. The way she had said it…it was soft and without malice. Completely different from how his hallucinations always said it. His eyes narrowed as he studied her.

"Y-You're real?"

She nodded.

Ivan let this information sink into his mind. His eyes wandered down her form, taking in the healing cuts and bruises that covered her neck. The edge of a raw pink scab peeked out from beneath the collar of her shirt.

"Looks like you healed quickly," he grunted.

"Physically…yes. It'll take me longer to heal in other ways," she murmured.

Ivan should have felt guilty, but he honestly felt nothing. Why was she down here? What did she want from him if not to torture him?

Across from him, the same thoughts were running through Taryn's mind. Why did she really want to come down and see him?

He voiced those thoughts.

"What do you want from me?"

Taryn jumped slightly, startled out of her thoughts.

"Hmm?" she asked.

He repeated his question. Spat it out more like it.

Taryn tried looked away from the prisoner, but her eyes were immediately drawn back to his face. As miserable as he looked…his resemblance to his brother was uncanny. Those gorgeous hazel eyes looked at her imploringly…but they weren't Luka's. The words Erwin had whispered in her ear before he left echoed through her mind.

 _"_ _He's not his brother. Talking to him won't bring Luka back…"_

She knew he wasn't Luka. She knew this man was the one who had kidnapped her and tortured her for days in almost inhumane ways. Yet… he was that last link to Luka. And that pulled hard at her heartstrings.

"You think I deserve to die, don't you?" he asked emotionlessly.

"No," she sighed. Did she want him to feel pain? Yes. Did he deserve death? Well, no more so than anyone else did.

Ivan snorted at her response. "Are you going to get Mr. Perfect out there to kill me?"

Taryn took a deep breath and shook her head. This was her battle…not Erwin's. "No."

The young man looked quite surprised. "Then what are you going to do with me? Leave me to rot in this dungeon forever?"

She shook her head once again.

"I won't lower myself to your standards. We'll let you go…except we'll drop you outside the wall. You have friends there, don't you? The man who did this…" she tugged her collar down, exposing the top of the scar on her chest, "…to me? He was the one who rescued you from the titans the first time right? He can do it again."

Ivan paled substantially.

"Are you kidding me?" he choked, losing his calm composure. "That'll be worse than torture itself! I'll die out there!"

Taryn sighed and stood up.

"Luka wouldn't want you to do this!" he yelped desperately. Taryn froze. She looked down at her prisoner coolly.

"Trust me. _Luka_ would have killed you with his bare hands if he knew what you did to me. Plus, if I left you to Commander Erwin, you'd be begging to be thrown to the titans."

Ivan stared up at her, his face a mixture of disbelief, nausea, and fear.

The door to the dungeon creaked open and said Commander strode in. Taryn almost missed the small, smug smile on his lips.

"Five minutes are up. Let's go, Taryn," he said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. She nodded and turned to leave with him, not sparing a single glance back at Ivan…her torturer, her personal demon…her constant reminder of whom she had lost.

* * *

Even though her wounds had healed substantially, Taryn still needed some support from the Commander as he walked her back up the stairs to her room. He had wrapped his good arm around her waist, patiently waiting for her to make her way up the steps. It was slow progress, but progress nonetheless, and for that, Erwin was grateful.

A faint grin found its way onto his lips as he watched the young girl determinedly walk up the steps, her face set in an expression of pure concentration. Her lower lip was caught between her teeth as she focused on her mission of walking without succumbing to the pain of the wounds that were still healing.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Taryn turned her head to look at him, a smile present on her mouth as she nodded.

"I'm fine. Just got to get this stubborn leg to move more smoothly…"

Erwin hadn't been referring to her physical health, and he was quite sure that she knew that. But he understood that her answer meant she wasn't ready to talk about her mental state yet, especially not immediately after facing the man who was her demon in angel's clothing.

"I'd carry you back if I had both my arms," he said, humouring her.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not entirely helpless, " she huffed disapprovingly.

Erwin just chuckled. To prove her point, Taryn wriggled out of his grasp and began to walk up the steps herself, supporting her weight by holding onto the banister. Erwin could not keep the amused grin off of his face. It quickly turned to panic though when she twisted her ankle and stumbled, causing her to fall backwards.

He reacted quickly, stepping forward to catch her before she tumbled down the stairs.

"Oomph!" she exclaimed as she found herself slamming backwards into the Commander's hard chest. He had braced himself well enough so that both of them wouldn't go flying down.

"You were saying?" he breathed into her ear, relief heavily seeping into his tone.

Taryn cleared her throat in embarrassment and turned her face to send an acidic retort to the Commander. Her eyes widened dramatically when she noticed that his face was a lot closer to hers than she had previously imagined. In fact, the tips of their noses were just barely brushing. His warm breath fanned over her mouth and chin…it smelled faintly of whisky.

His blue eyes were sharp as they roamed across her face. Taryn's mind felt fuzzy and blank…she was at a loss for words at the moment.

Some part of her wanted to learn forward just a little more and close the gap between them…to see if he tasted just like he smelled. The blonde Commander seemed to have the same idea as his eyes wandered down to her lips.

 _Taryn…_

Taryn jerked back suddenly as Luka's voice drifted through her mind. Immediately, an overwhelming wave of guilt crashed over her. She couldn't betray Luka. She refused move on from him…to forget him.

"I-I'm sorry…" she muttered, disengaging herself from his embrace.

"Taryn?" he asked in concern, stepping forward and reaching towards her. Taryn immediately backed up the stairs, maneuvering herself away from his outstretched fingers.

Erwin pulled his hand back, confusion and hurt flashing momentarily in those eyes, only to be hidden by a cool mask moments later.

"I think I need to rest," she sighed, looking down and refusing to meet the Commander's piercing gaze.

"Of course," he said quietly. Taryn quickly bobbed her head in appreciation and turned around, carefully making her way up the stairs.

She could feel Erwin's eyes following her the entire way.

* * *

A/N:

Hello and Happy New Year! I'm so sorry that it's taken a while for me to update this fic (and that this chapter is short -_- I will make the next one longer, I promise). When I came back for my last semester at college, I got swamped with work (since I'm overloading classes this semester in lieu of my imminent graduation [yay! Adulthood! Wait…]). Anyways, due to my crazy schedule, I don't think updates will be as frequent as they used to be (I'm sorry!), but I will definitely not abandon this fic.

On a more positive note, I went to Disneyland for New Year's, went on Star Tours fifty million times with my brother. If you saw a strange chick running around the Disneyland Park with an Attack on Titan blanket draped around her while waving a lightsaber like mad- that was me. No regrets.

Anyways…I hope you all had a fantastic New Year's celebration as well, and I look forward to starting off 2016 with you guys (even if it's a few months late ;_; )! Let's see where this year takes us!

Thank you to **GuyInLoveWithEreMika** , **lovinurbuks** , **Nuuk** , **Nina fo life** , **NachoNachoMan1992** , **GoldenLombaxGirl** , **Batfreak02** , and of course, **dareaderreads** for being such lovely human beings and for sticking with this fic for so long! Please don't forget to fav, follow or review! I love hearing from ya'll!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** Holy Macaroni! This chapter practically wrote itself- woah! It's probably because you guys are such wonderful cheerleaders!

 **IMPORTANT NOTE:** I don't normally recommend music to listen to while reading, but I have to do it for this chapter, because this specific song inspired me immensely. The song is called **"For You" by Once a Tree** (you can find it on YouTube). I will mark the spot where I recommend you start listening to it with a o0o0o (it's towards the end of the chapter). You don't have to listen to it, but I wouldn't have recommended it if I didn't think it added to the atmosphere of the story. Angst ya'll. Have some angst. TIP: you can use it for the omake too.

Rest of the A/N at the end (including an **Omake**!). **UPDATE:** sorry for re-uploading this chapter- there were just a few mistakes and inconsistencies that were bugging me so I went in and fixed them.

Beware of **rogue spiders** and **spoilers**! It's up to your discretion to read. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Thirteen: Don't Leave

 _"_ _Is it time,  
_ _Are we passing by, this life?  
_ _Nights like this, I can't help it,  
_ _I'm crying out, I'm crying out, I'm crying out  
_ _For you…"_

 _(For You- Once A Tree )_

* * *

"Hanji, I don't think that's a good idea…" Taryn began, looking at the older woman wearily.

"Well someone needs to keep an eye on you," the scientist said, folding her arms over her chest. Although her tone was stern, Taryn could detect the slightest grin on the woman's lips.

"But moving me into the Commander's room?"

Hanji shook her head. "He doesn't sleep in any case, so his bed is practically unused. It's not like he's in his bedroom all the time either. I just like the idea that it's connected to his office, so he can keep track of you."

Taryn rolled her eyes. "And why can't _you_ 'keep track' of me?"

Hanji chuckled. "Because I'm busy doing experiments of course!" She casually waved to the stacks of papers piled up on her desk as she leaned back in her chair. Taryn was worried that the woman would lean the chair too far back and fall over. She shook her head.

"How about Eren?"

The scientist just stared at her.

"Right, never mind," Taryn muttered. As much as she loved her little brother, he would probably end up accidentally injuring her more so than she already was.

Taryn contemplated Hanji's words. "But isn't the Commander busier than you are?"

"Not when it comes to you, dear," Hanji smirked.

"But Hanji," Taryn began again, "I really don't think that-"

She was cut off by two sharp knocks on the door.

"Come in," Hanji called from her desk.

Erwin walked into the room, looking as pristine and clean-cut as ever.

"Ready?" he asked politely to Taryn. Taryn flinched slightly. Ever since that moment on the staircase, the Commander had been treating her _extra_ politely. He had also been keeping his distance from her.

Hanji's brown eyes widened and flickered back and forth between the two.

"Yes, sir," Taryn sighed. Erwin nodded and stepped forward to take the bag he had given to her while she was on bed rest. "Oh, I can carry that, sir," she protested slightly, clinging onto the bag strap.

Erwin let go of the bag without arguing and turned around to leave the room. Taryn watched after him slightly annoyed yet wistful. Hanji seemed to have picked up on the frosty atmosphere between the two, causing her to look at Taryn questioningly.

Taryn didn't know what to say. "I-I think I made a mistake…" she muttered.

Hanji nodded sympathetically. "Why don't you go settle yourself into his room and then we can talk?" she suggested softly. Taryn offered the woman a weak smile. It was awfully uncharacteristic of Hanji to care so much about people's relationships, but she supposed that the Commander was just that important to the scientist.

"Thanks, Hanji," Taryn said. Hanji grinned and nodded. They both knew that Taryn was referring to a lot more than Hanji's concern.

Erwin held the door open for Taryn, allowing her to maneuver through the small space between the Commander's chest and the doorframe. As she passed him, his scent invaded her senses. The faintest hint of musk…spicy scent of whisky… It was completely different from Luka's scent. It was more…mature in a way.

She set her bag down on the medium sized bed in the corner of the room. The room was fair in size and arranged almost exactly like Hanji's. The only difference was that there was a washroom attached to the room- a luxury that most soldiers were not afforded. Shared washrooms were the norm at military bases.

She sighed contentedly. It would be nice to be able to wash up without having to look enviously at Mikasa's solid abs, or to have Sasha constantly smacking her back with a wet towel, or to even see Ymir and Krista-

"I'll be in my office if you need me," the Commander said interrupting her and thankfully pulling her away from an unwanted thought.

She nodded blankly and watched his tall figure quickly make his way to the adjoining office room. He quietly shut the door behind him, leaving Taryn by herself. She collapsed back onto the bed, sighing to herself.

 _I need to talk to him…_ she guiltily thought. _But first I need to talk to Hanji._

* * *

Eren looked at Levi with slight hesitation. His eyes flitted to the large man standing beside Captain Levi as well. Dimo Reeves. He shuddered internally.

"Are you sure this is going to work, sir?"

Levi nodded. "Reeves won't trying anything funny, right?" he asked the fat man threateningly.

The man scrunched his nose and nodded wearily.

"Alright, sir."

Levi nodded approvingly. "Good, Yeager. We'll leave tomorrow at dawn then. I'll go and let Historia know right now."

With that, both Dimo and Levi left the room. Eren sighed and rubbed his forehead. A few seconds later, his door squeaked open again and soft footsteps made their way into the room.

"Eren?"

The boy immediately relaxed his shoulders as the familiar voice floated to his ears. He turned around to see Mikasa standing tentatively in front of the closed door.

"Hey, Mikasa," he said with a small smile.

"What did the midg-Captain say?" she asked. Eren laughed at her continued and obvious distaste for the Captain.

"Historia and I are leaving tomorrow morning for that 'plan'" he grunted.

Mikasa frowned.

Eren immediately knew that wasn't happy with Levi's plans. He walked over to the bed and patted the spot next to him, beckoning her to sit by him. She complied and settled herself next to him. Their knees were touching.

"I don't like the sound of this plan, Eren. So many things can go wrong," she protested.

Eren shrugged his shoulders. "We're just being tied up in a cave and used as bait for people who potentially want to kill us…no big deal."

Mikasa glared at him.

"What? When you think about all the other stuff we've been through…this seems pretty tame," he joked. Mikasa punched his arm angrily and turned her face away with a huff.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed with a chuckle. But then he sobered up when he noticed that Mikasa still wasn't looking at him. "Hey," he murmured softly, using his fingers to gently turn her face to his.

She still refused to look at him, choosing to stare at her knees instead.

"Mikasa," he sighed. "I'll be fine. I know you want to be there to protect me, but if you're there, you might get hurt and our plan could fail."

"I know," she muttered reluctantly. "It's just that…"

She fell silent, not knowing how to say what was on her mind. Eren found it incredibly endearing. Mikasa was never big on words, so it was cute and flattering to see her struggle to say so much to him.

"It's just that what?" he prompted, gently holding her hands and rubbing circles into her porcelain skin.

She looked up at him- her grey eyes a tempest of fear.

"It feels like both you _and_ Taryn are always just slipping away from me. Like you both are leaving me behind…just like my parents…"

It was a silent for a bit. Mikasa was sure that she had made Eren mad with her words, so she quickly looked back down at her knees. She was surprised when she felt him lift her chin up again to look at him.

She was right. He was angry. But not at her. His eyes were filled with a more determined kind of anger.

"I only have three things left to live for," he started, tightly squeezing her hands. "Armin, Taryn, and _you_."

Mikasa's eyes widened at the passion in his tone.

"And I _know_ that Taryn and Armin feel the exact same way. None of us are ever going to leave you behind, Mikasa," he said firmly, breathing hard.

"Th-thank you, Eren," she whispered. Words could not express the amount of love and gratefulness she felt at the moment.

But, in cases like this, words were not needed.

* * *

"Tea?"

Taryn looked up to see Hanji running around her room, looking everywhere for the tealeaves Levi had supposedly "gifted" to her. Everyone knew that the scientist actually stole Levi's tealeaves for experiments.

"Um, no thank you," Taryn said quickly. If Hanji was going to using the Captain's precious, stolen tealeaves, then she did not want to be named as an accomplice to Hanji's wrongdoing. Basically, she did not want to be on the short Captain's bad side…if she wasn't already.

"Suit yourself," the woman said. "So tell me. What's going on with you and Erwin?"

Taryn bit her lip nervously.

"Um…"

The young girl had no idea if she should even be telling Hanji about this. The woman was currently rooting around a wooden trunk for the tealeaves. She let out a triumphant cry when she managed to pull out a small, metal tin.

"Well, go on," she encouraged as she brought the tin to her ear and shook it, listening to the rustling inside.

"Right…" Taryn said slowly, staring at the scientist and wondering if she'd ever get used to the woman's eccentric ways. Unable to hold it in any longer, Taryn yelled out what was bothering her.

"I almost kissed the Commander!"

A loud crash made Taryn jump. It turned out Hanji had dropped the metal tin in shock. The tin had opened up, spilling hundreds of little black things all over the floor.

Taryn looked closely at the black things, which were obviously not tealeaves. They were-

"BUGS! ACK! HANJI, OH MY GOODNESS, GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!" Taryn screamed, quickly scrambling up to stand on Hanji's bed.

"Huh? Bugs?" Hanji exclaimed in confusion, scratching her head. Then her eyes lit up as if she suddenly remembered something only to immediately turn to grief when she took in the sight of the bugs.

"AHHH MY PRECIOUS BUGS! MY BABIES! THEY'RE DEAD! HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU?" she wailed loudly.

"Babie-? What? Hanji, just pick them up and get them away from here!" Taryn cried.

Hanji dropped to her knees and picked up one of the dead insects. "WAHHHH- AND THE EXPERIMENT WAS GOING SO WELL…"

Taryn had to wonder how the scientist's experiment could have been going well if she hadn't even noticed her bugs were missing.

After ten minutes of crying, utter chaos, and Taryn's screams (it was a wonder the whole military hadn't burst into the room yet), Hanji had managed to collect all the dead insects back into the tin, which she then set on the desk.

The scientist sniffled sadly before turning back to Taryn, the latter of whom was very sure that she had just been on the verge of having a heart attack.

"Sorry…" Hanji mumbled. "You were saying?"

Taryn felt bad for the scientist.

"We can talk another time," she said worriedly, wondering if Hanji needed time to mourn her long dead bugs.

The woman wiped her nose and adjusted her glasses. "No, I'm fine. I just need to remember to start punching holes in the boxes where I keep live specimen," she sighed.

Taryn didn't even want to know what Hanji was doing with the bugs.

"If you're sure…well as I was saying, I almost kissed the Commander a few days ago."

Hanji nodded, seeming less surprised now.

"Why 'almost'?" she asked, seating herself on her desk's chair.

"Why indeed…" Taryn sighed.

"You don't know?" Hanji asked curiously.

Taryn fidgeted with her shirtsleeves.

"I might…" she said hesitantly.

Hanji waited patiently for her to continue speaking.

"When he leaned in to kiss me…I just thought about…" Taryn couldn't even bring herself to say his name. "…Luka…"

"Ahhh, Mr. Weber. Your formal lover." Hanji groaned in complete understanding.

"Ahh?" Taryn asked, confusedly parroting Hanji's words.

Hanji offered the younger girl a small smile. "Tell me something, Taryn. Did you want to kiss Erwin?"

"I-uh…" Taryn thought back to that moment. The sight of those stunning, blue eyes peering deep into her soul, making her feel completely exposed to him. The power of the arm that was wrapped securely around her waist, making her feel safe and warm. The hard chest muscles she felt tensing up under her hands. The heady scent of a powerful man that she just wanted to get entirely lost in…

Taryn could feel her face heating up. Hanji guffawed loudly.

"You're blushing so hard!"

Taryn looked down at the floor. "Well…Yes! I did want to kiss him…" she exclaimed in embarrassment.

"Of course you did," Hanji chuckled. "There's nothing wrong with that…You're attracted to him."

Taryn looked up at her in surprise and dismay. "I can't be attracted to him! I still love Luka!" she protested.

At this, Hanji's face softened.

"You feel guilty, don't you?"

The younger girl looked blankly at Hanji.

Hanji sighed and smiled sadly. The older woman had to remind herself that this girl was barely twenty years old, had experienced one relationship that only lasted a month or two before it was violently destroyed, and was now focused on keeping herself and her brother alive. Poor thing.

She got up from her chair and sat next to Taryn on the bed.

"Listen, you're not betraying Luka by liking, or even loving, someone else," she began quietly.

"How is it not betraying him, though?" Taryn asked fretfully. "I don't want to forget about him…or stop loving him!"

Hanji rubbed Taryn's back gently.

"Tell me, if your roles were reversed and you were going to die while Luka lived, would you tell him to never love anyone else ever again?"

Taryn shook her head. "Of course not! That would be silly…I would want him to be happy, even if it wasn't…with…me…" she trailed off.

"Exactly. I'm sure Luka would have felt the same way."

"B-but…I don't want to forget about him…" the girl whispered fearfully.

Hanji smiled. "Trust me. You'll never stop loving him…and you'll never forget about him. Have you forgotten about your parents yet?"

"I guess not…" Taryn said. She could never forget her beautiful mother and the father that she so took after in every aspect possible.

"You can love someone else, Taryn. Don't let guilt stop you."

* * *

As Taryn made her way back to Erwin's room, her mind was running at a rapid pace, all of Hanji's words flying around in her head.

She sighed and shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts.

"I really need Eren right now," she sighed. It would be good to see him before he left for the plan tomorrow morning. Taryn quickly made her way to Eren's room, feeling relief seeping into her core at the thought of just seeing her brother.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the strange noises coming from behind his closed door. If she had heard them, she would have come back later. But just like her brother, she tended to be slightly oblivious at times.

"Hey, Eren?" she said, opening the door and stepping into the room.

Suddenly, the sight of a very naked Eren and Mikasa entwined on the bed caught her eye. Mikasa was straddling Eren's hips and had pinned his wrists above his head with one hand. Pleasured grunts escaped from Eren's lips every time she gyrated her hips against his.

"I- er," Taryn could feel herself blushing from the tips of her toes to the edge of her hairline. Luckily, neither of the teens had noticed her yet, so she backed up slightly, hoping to escape before she could be caught. Luck was not on her side. The floorboard beneath her boot squeaked loudly as she tried to backtrack, making her cringe and the couple on the bed immediately freeze.

Mikasa turned around and Eren looked up.

"Taryn?" he wheezed uncomprehendingly.

"Er, hi?"

It seemed to hit both of the teens all at once. Both turned bright red.

"Holy Levi! Don't look!" Eren yelped, sitting up quickly and causing Mikasa to roll off of him and tumble backwards.

Taryn obediently clapped her hand over her eyes as the two scrambled to cover themselves with sheets.

 _Holy Levi?_ she mouthed to herself in confusion. After a few moments of random grunts and heavy panting, Taryn gave up.

"I think I'll come back later?" she asked weakly. When neither responded, she turned around to quickly walk out and ended up…walking headfirst into the doorframe.

"Ouch!" she cried out.

"Taryn!" she heard her brother exclaim. She winced as a slight bit of pain shot through her head, but she waved it off, making sure to keep her hand firmly clamped over her eyes.

"I'm-I'm fine," she gasped, getting to her feet unsteadily. This time, she carefully felt her way out of the room and finally closed the door behind her. It would take nothing short of a titan ripping out her brains for her to forget that image.

She wandered down the hall silently and gave in to the idea of just returning to the room. She couldn't avoid the Commander forever.

In order to get into the bedroom, one had to walk through the office…the office that the Commander was currently sitting in…the Commander that she suddenly realized she was attracted to.

Well, damn.

Taryn took a deep breath before slowly opening the Commander's office door and walking in. Erwin looked up from some papers he was signing.

"Good evening, Miss Yea-" he stopped and stared at her, jumping up from his seat and rushing over to her quickly, much to Taryn's confusion. "Why are you bleeding?" he asked firmly.

"Bleeding?" she asked in bewilderment. She then remembered the dull throbbing coming from her forehead thanks to her gaffe with Eren's doorframe. She shuddered.

"Ah…that. I had a…er- a run-in?" she explained lamely.

Erwin gripped her arm and pulled her over to his desk. "Sit," he said. Not wanting to irritate him, she nodded (wincing at the pain) and hopped up onto the desktop, letting her legs dangle.

He walked over to his desk and pulled out some gauze and a towel. Taryn quietly laughed when she recognized it as the towel he had offered her when she had first visited his office. Her chuckles subsided when she realized how long ago that had been…back when Luka was still alive.

 _No, Stop it,_ she told herself. No more dwelling on Luka. Or at least she'd try not to.

He grabbed a canteen of water and poured some onto the towel.

"Now, whom did you have this run-in with?" he asked as he dabbed the towel to her forehead, brushing aside her bangs to see more clearly.

Taryn found that in order to see the cut, the Commander was leaning in very closely. Once again, their faces were just inches apart. She had to resist the urge to bend forward and take a deep whiff of him…

So she looked anywhere but Erwin's face as he cleaned the cut.

"With a door?" she said bashfully.

She heard a snort mingled with a sigh come from Erwin's direction.

"You ran into a door?" he asked, clearly fighting to keep the amusement from his voice.

"Maybe…" she mumbled.

She felt him chuckle lowly as he taped the gauze to her battle wound. When he finished, he dumped the towel down on the desktop next to her. She looked back at him to thank him, but instead, she was frozen by the intensity of his gaze.

"Better?" he breathed.

Her throat was bone-dry. Curse Hanji and her damned revelations.

"I-I guess," she stammered.

Erwin raised a thick brow.

"Need a kiss as well?" he asked.

Taryn's eyes grew to the size of saucers as an unbidden image of the Commander pinning her to his desk and ravishing her with kisses invaded her mind. She swallowed thickly.

"I-I beg your pardon?" she squeaked.

The Commander gave her a strange look.

"I said, do you need a stitch as well?"

"A-a _stitch_?" Taryn asked faintly. He nodded slowly, obviously worried that the hit to her head had given her a concussion.

She exhaled deeply, feeling relieved yet…mildly disappointed as well.

"No, I'm fine sir," she managed to choke out.

The Commander nodded. "If you're sure…"

He backed away and grabbed the dirtied towel, throwing it over a nearby armchair. Taryn hopped off the desk, glad to see that her legs hadn't given out on her. Yet. She went walk to the door leading to the bedroom. As she reached the threshold, she heard Erwin call out to her.

"Oh, and Taryn?"

She turned around to look at him. "Yes, sir?"

"Try not to get into any more confrontations with doors. Save it for the titans," he said, sending her a smirk. Taryn could have sworn her heart stopped.

"Mhmm" was all she managed to get out before she turned around and-

-BAM-

"Taryn!" the Commander exclaimed as Taryn Yeager managed to walk into a doorframe and fall down for the second time that day.

As Erwin rushed to help her up, Taryn wished that the ground would swallow her whole.

 _Damn you, Hanji_ , she thought miserably.

* * *

"Mikasa, this is so embarrassing," Eren whined as the raven-haired girl dragged him down the staircase.

"You need to see your sister before you leave," she said.

"I know…but she saw us…" he muttered.

Mikasa blushed slightly, but continued to walk forward.

"Eren, it's not like she doesn't know what sex is…"

Eren cringed.

"I know…but I don't think she ever thought she'd see me doing it," he sighed.

He knew he would be mortified if he ever caught his older sister having sex with someone, let alone someone he had grown up with. The closest person he could think of was…Armin. Eren actually felt a shiver run through his body at the thought, accompanied by nausea. He would die if he ever found out that Taryn and Armin were sleeping together.

"Eren?" Mikasa asked him questioningly.

"Trust me…you're better off not knowing," he grunted.

Mikasa shrugged and continued to pull him.

"She's staying with Commander Erwin now, right?" she asked. Eren nodded, still trying to rid himself of the image of Armin and his sister.

"Okay, here we are," Mikasa finally said, stopping them both at a wooden door. She knocked on it softly.

"Come in," said a voice.

The two entered the room carefully.

"Woah." Eren was in awe of the number of maps, books and papers scattered around everywhere.

"Oh, Mr. Yeager and Ms. Ackerman," the Commander said pleasantly. "What can I do for you?"

Eren was at a loss for words, too enraptured with the Commander's work quarters. Mikasa sighed in exasperation.

"We're here to see Taryn before Eren has to leave tomorrow," she answered, jerking Eren's arm to get his attention.

"Hmm? Oh right, yeah," Eren said.

To both of their surprises, the Commander looked slightly guilty, but he hid it well.

"Of course. Through there," he said, nodding to the door.

"Thank you, sir," they both said, saluting respectfully.

"Oh, she may have a headache and be asleep," he warned as they walked to the door. Now it was their turn to look guilty.

"She hit her head that hard?" Eren asked in astonishment. Erwin looked at the two in surprise.

"You know about her run-in with the door?" he asked, studying them. The two blushed heavily.

"Er, no?" Eren answered. Erwin nodded slowly, obviously not buying it, but he let it go.

"Go ahead," he said, dismissing them.

"Sir," they both replied, desperate to get out from under the Commander's gaze as soon as possible.

They quickly scampered into the bedroom, shutting it behind them in relief. Mikasa looked at Eren disapprovingly.

"You and your big mouth," she muttered.

"Hey! You liked my 'big mouth' a while ago," he protested making Mikasa blush. What he said was true after all.

"Er…"

Both froze and slowly turned their heads to Taryn, who was very much awake, reading in bed.

"Did you come here to remind me of why I have a head wound?" she joked weakly.

Mikasa cleared her throat and pushed Eren forward. He stumbled over his feet and grumbled.

"Eren wanted to see you before he left," the raven girl said softly.

Taryn nodded and looked to her brother. Eren awkwardly scratched his head and walked to the bedside. Books were scattered all over the bed top.

 _Wow…Taryn is just like the Commander_ , he thought to himself as he eyed the books with an expression of distate. Books were never his thing. Taryn quickly shifted some over to the side in order to make room for her little brother. Mikasa had seated herself on a wooden chair by the window, silently watching the two siblings situate themselves.

"You ready for the plan tomorrow?" Taryn asked finally, a wide smile on her face.

Eren nodded. A thick silence followed.

It was broken by a loud yell that startled Taryn, making her jump and knock down a few books.

"I'M SORRY YOU SAW ME AND MIKASA HAVING SEX!" Eren yelped, screwing his eyes shut.

It was pin-drop silent. Mikasa stared at Eren with wide eyes and Taryn's jaw had dropped open. A low noise sounded from the Commander's office. It sounded suspiciously like a quick bark of laughter. Taryn herself started laughing so hard that tears were leaking from her eyes.

Eren reluctantly opened his eyes and watched his sister in confusion.

"You're not mad at me?" he asked in surprise.

Taryn was wheezing at this point, her cheeks flushed red with laughter.

"Of…course…not!" she gasped, trying her hardest to settle the laughter.

"Oh…we thought you would be mad…"

Taryn shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "Eren, why should I be mad?" she said as her chuckles subsided. "I'm glad that you and Mikasa have finally realized that you like each other…I mean it took you long enough."

Eren raised an eyebrow.

Taryn sighed in embarrassment. "I just never expected to you get…you know…sexually experienced before I… um…did."

"But didn't you and Luka…?" Eren began. Taryn shook her head vehemently.

Both of them began to chuckle awkwardly.

"I guess I was just surprised because when Dad gave us the sex talk, when we were little, you almost started crying…" Taryn said softly. "I keep forgetting that you're not a little boy anymore."

Eren blushed while Mikasa had to cover up a laugh.

"You still remember that?" Eren exclaimed, extremely mortified.

His sister nodded, grinning brightly. "You were the one who asked him how babies were made. He was a doctor, Eren. Of course he was going to give us the most graphic description of how sex works…"

Eren couldn't help but join in her chuckles at the memory. "Yeah…I miss him."

Taryn sobered up. "I miss him too." More than she could ever express.

* * *

Erwin nodded politely as the two young, red-faced cadets ran back through his office, hastily excusing themselves and bidding him goodnight. He couldn't help but smirk at what he had heard.

At least one of the Yeager siblings was making an effort to reproduce in a world where people were dying left and right.

Erwin sat at his desk for the next few hours, finishing up a lot of paperwork. Everyone always thought that joining the military meant fighting and training all day and night. No one ever talked about the amount of diplomacy and paperwork that went into it as well. It was well past midnight when Erwin finally realized that his eyes were killing him. He had been reading the same line four times over and knew that he shouldn't push himself any more. He needed a break.

He got up from his desk and stretched, looking around the room. He noticed that the light in the bedroom was still on. The Commander decided to pay Taryn a visit to see how her head was doing (or so he told himself). As he walked to the bedroom, he unfastened the top buttons of his shirt, enjoying the casual feeling.

When he walked in, he saw that books surrounded Taryn. She was currently frantically writing in a notebook as well.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he ambled up to her side, seating himself by her legs.

She looked up with wide eyes.

"Hmm?"

He chuckled. It looked like she was so caught up in her own world that it took a few seconds for her to adjust to reality. The truth was that she was trying her hardest to keep her eyes from exploring the region below his face. He had unbuttoned his shirt enough so that Taryn could spot a few wisps of golden hair on his chest. She shivered and fought to keep away the blush that threatened to rise to her cheeks.

"Ah, better I guess," she said, tenderly touching the gauze covered cut.

"Too bad you can't heal as quickly any more," Erwin observed.

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah…that accelerant that Ivan gave me somehow added to my abilities…It's definitely flushed out of my system now."

"So, what are you reading?" he asked curiously, his eyes flitting across all of the book titles. One familiar book in particular caught his eye, causing him to reach forward and pick it up.

"Ilse's Journal?" he flipped through the worn notebook pages. "You're reading it again?"

Taryn nodded. "Remember when I had first read it and I noticed something? Well, the recent events with Ivan and the spectacled man confirmed it for me."

"Confirmed what?"

She took the notebook back from him and flipped to the end. Then she returned it to him and pointed at a particular passage. "Read this," she instructed.

Erwin obediently began to read the section out loud.

 _I have encountered a Titan. It's a seven- no six-meter class. It didn't attack me right away. Is it an Abnormal? This is the end of the line._

The Commander could almost feel Ilse's fear radiating off of the pages. As he read, he noticed Taryn's expression grow somber. He continued.

 _…_ _This is as far as I go. I have lived a whimsical life. But- I haven't done anything for my parents yet! I feel sick! This is…the end…_

He heard Taryn shift uncomfortably, but he refused to stop.

 _…_ _I-it just spoke. The titan just spoke. No way._

Erwin could completely understand the long gone woman's shock.

 _The Titan is speaking words I can understand… 'Ymir's people. Welcome.'_

At these last words, Erwin looked up at Taryn. She stared at him unflinchingly.

"It's Ymir," she said quietly. "I'm not the only one with the ability to talk to titans. She can too. I suspected that when I first read the journal, but after my kidnapping, I'm sure of it."

The Commander nodded silently, urging her to continue.

"I was to be executed for the deaths of some MP soldiers that were out in the woods. The 'eye witness' said that a female was in the forest, commanding the titans to attack. Obviously that wasn't me, so it had to be someone else with those abilities. Given what Ilse said, I-I think it's Ymir."

"She's retaliating," he muttered, rubbing his jaw.

"She's trying to get something…or someone back," Taryn added meaningfully. Even though she didn't say her exact thoughts, the Commander immediately understood. Although he held a higher position in the military and didn't interact with his subordinates quite as often as other leaders did, he was well aware of the many relationships that existed within the ranks.

 _Historia._

* * *

In the early hours of morning, while it was still dark out, Taryn and Erwin sat on the bed, hastily taking notes, looking through books, journals and random papers to try and piece together the larger picture they knew they were missing.

They had heard Eren and Historia leave with Dimo Reeves a while ago, their horses whinnying loudly as the trio rode off.

Erwin had moved a lot of his work materials from his office desk over to the bed, his work mixed up with her research. It was a giant mess and secretly, they both loved it.

"But why would she go through such great lengths to get Historia back?" he pondered.

"Other than the fact that she loves her?" Taryn scoffed.

"Is it possible that she may know of Historia's ro-"

"It's not impossible," Taryn said, quickly cutting him off.

They both fell into silence as they continued to rustle through sheets of paper. Taryn was making the effort to study the papers more than the Commander sitting next to her.

Extremely close to her.

So close that their knees would brush against each other when one moved.

Taryn was frustrated that even the smallest amount of contact was causing her mind and body to kick into overdrive while the Commander was hardly perturbed by the situation. Internally grumbling, she made the move to straighten out her leg to avoid touching his knee, when suddenly, something caught Taryn's eye. She grabbed one of the papers sticking out from under the Commander's knee and hastily read it.

"What-what is this?" she asked faintly. The Commander cocked an eyebrow and held his hand out, asking for the paper. She gave it to him, her mind working furiously.

The Commander scanned the paper before frowning.

"I signed off on this a while ago. When you had been kidnapped, apparently there was another kidnapping attempt. Except this time, the potential victim was Annie Leonhart."

"Annie?" she whispered, more to herself than to the Commander. "But there are only two people who'd try and rescue her…"

"Mr. Hoover and Mr. Braun, indeed," he confirmed, peering at her curiously. "It was not an unexpected move on their behalf- trying to rescue a fallen comrade?"

"No, it's not. But they didn't succeed, and those two are as stubborn and determined as hell. They're going to try again." Taryn closed her eyes in frustration. Something was missing. Some piece of information she wasn't seeing…

Suddenly, it clicked in her mind.

"They're working together!" she gasped.

"Together?"

"Well maybe not entirely together. I think Ymir is using Bertholt and Reiner to grab Historia. When she was going to attack the secret place where Eren and all were hiding, I think she wanted to keep as many soldiers distracted as possible. She must have convinced Bert and Reiner to get Annie back, as a way to make sure that no one was there to thwart her…"

Erwin nodded as he listened.

"I don't think she expected the MP to show up and use that opportunity to frame me…I also don't think she expected everyone to escape beforehand- thanks to your timely tip," she said thoughtfully.

"It does make sense," Erwin admitted. His eyes snapped up to hers in realization. "This also means that she may try to get Historia again- and her best opportunity would be now, when Historia and Eren are most vulnerable."

Taryn nodded frantically. All the pieces had fallen into place.

"I will send out a messenger immediately to inform Levi of the upcoming events," the Commander said. He scratched his chin and added, "I should also send some extra soldiers to help him."

He got off the bed and began to gather his papers and books.

"Sir," Taryn began as she helped him.

"Hmm?" he responded, giving her his full attention.

"I think we should double the security around Annie as well. While Ymir may or may not use her as a distraction once again, it wouldn't help if they actually managed to rescue Annie. We don't need another titan-shifter back in the game."

The Commander stared at her for a moment before a slow grin spread over his mouth. Taryn blushed. That smile was doing things to her.

"I'm glad that I have you by my side," he said simply.

 _I'm glad too_ , she thought. After a few seconds, he turned away.

"You should get some rest," he said, noting the circles under her eyes.

She managed to respond with a muffled "Mhmm," and a bright red face.

* * *

Ymir peered out from between the thick branches of the tree she was crouching in. She had watched as that fat, slimeball, Dimo Reeves, led her precious Historia into the dirty cave. Her mouth twisted into a snarl when she saw how roughly he was gripping the young girl's delicate wrists.

Once the man left, it would be the perfect opportunity for her to swoop in and grab her beloved Historia. She knew that Zeke would want her to nab Eren while she was at it. Ymir sighed…to carry both Historia and Eren, she would have to transform…not to mention she would have to make sure that the loud-mouthed boy didn't get the chance to cut himself and transform as well. If he did…well then, she would be screwed.

A rustling noise distracted her from her thought process, making her look down. Dimo had apparently left the teenagers in the cave and had walked out to meet with another man. Ymir looked at the new man with an expression of distate.

He was tall, very lean and dressed nicely. A large hat hid his face from view, but there was no mistaking the dark, murderous aura emanating from him.

"They're in there," Dimo said, his face a perfect picture of calm, yet the sweat on his temples gave away how nervous he actually was.

The tall man grunted and followed Dimo into the cave. The two only remained in the cave for a few minutes, coming out rather quickly. At this point, a carriage had pulled up before the entrance of the cave.

They spoke in low tones. Ymir strained to hear what they were saying and to her surprise she caught the name "Levi" coming from the mouth of the taller man. She wondered what her former Captain had to do with this man. The woman shook her head- it didn't matter. What mattered was Historia.

Just as she was starting to get agitated from waiting in the tree for so long, to her shock, the tall man put Dimo into a chokehold, whispering something into his ear. Within seconds, so quickly that she almost missed it, the tall man drew a small, sharp blade and slit Dimo's throat with it. Blood flowed from the wound as Dimo took gurgling breaths, slowly collapsing to the ground. It was a quick death.

"Throw those two in the carriage," the tall man said to some of his cronies, nodding to the cave where the two teens were waiting.

Ymir's eyes narrowed. Internal sabotage? Really?

"Well, fuck."

This was going to be harder than she had expected.

* * *

o0o0o

Erwin was in his office putting on a clean shirt when he heard a quiet knock on the door connected to the bedroom.

"Come in," he said.

Taryn opened the door and walked in. Her nose had been stuck in a book, so when she looked up to see the Commander in a state of undress, she nearly turned tail and sprinted back into her room. But, as red as she was in the face, she refused to act like a hormonal teenager. This was her Commander and in a way, her friend. Taryn froze.

 _My Commander? MY? Since when was he mine?_ she thought frantically.

"Taryn?" he asked questioningly. Taryn snapped out of her reverie, fairly sure that her face was on fire…because that's what it felt like. No. This was too soon. It didn't matter what Hanji said…

Taryn cleared her throat.

"You've sent the troops out then, sir?"

"I have," he nodded. "Actually, I needed to speak with you about something…"

"Oh, of course," Taryn said, worried about what he needed to 'speak' about.

"Take a seat," he said, nodding to the chair. Taryn complied and sat down, trying to make herself as comfortable as possible. She closed her book, dog-earning the page to mark it, and set it on his desk. She then remained quiet, waiting for him to speak.

"Hanji came by earlier with some…strange news," he began.

Taryn immediately felt herself stiffen. Did Hanji tell him about Taryn's fear of bugs…even dead ones? Or even worse- did she tell the Commander about Taryn's feelings since Taryn wasn't moving quickly enough? Did he now think she was weird and disgusting? A foolish little girl with a dumb crush?

"News?" Taryn asked, her voice strained. Erwin seemed to notice the tension in her voice and looked at her in concern.

"Are you okay?"

Taryn nodded stiffly. "Ne-never better, sir."

Erwin nodded slowly and continued. "Right. The news she brought has to do with Eren and Historia."

A huge sigh of relief expelled from Taryn's lungs. The Commander looked very confused at her reaction.

"Taryn, we believe your brother is in serious danger."

The girl looked at him in confusion.

"Danger? Why?"

"We made a grievous error with this plan of ours," he began to explain, but Taryn cut him off anxiously.

"Error? But he should be fine with Levi, right? Now that we know Ymir's plan, he should be okay…"

Erwin shook his head. "I wasn't referring to Ymir. Eren is in danger from another individual, one who most probably intends on killing him for their own gain."

Taryn's eyes widened at the news. "Who?" she whispered.

The Commander looked at her with a steely gaze. "I can't tell you. Not yet."

"What? Why not?" Taryn exclaimed angrily. "He's my brother! I have the right to know who's trying to kill him!"

The Commander had finished buttoning his shirt on and was in the process of shrugging his jacket on as well. He walked over to Taryn's chair and knelt down in front of her, putting him at eye level with her. This flustered Taryn. It just served to remind her how tall the man actually was. She couldn't bring herself to look directly into his eyes so she looked to the side.

"Taryn," he started, raising his good hand to cup her cheek and make her look at him. Taryn's breath caught in her throat when she saw how gentle the Commander's eyes were. She could feel the callouses on his cold palm graze her cheek. If she weren't so worried, she would have laughed at the fact that his hand was bigger than her face, swallowing her cheek in its grasp. It was strangely comforting.

"There's every chance that you're in as much danger as he is. We think that this individual will go after Eren for his titan power. And if that's the case- then they're going to want your ability as well," he said gently.

"But I'm safe here with you, and he's not," she murmured. "You're here for me."

She was surprised to see him give her a strange look, his eyes filled with something she couldn't quite understand. He rubbed his thumb against her cheekbone, marveling at the smoothness of her skin.

"Taryn, I-"

But whatever he was going to say had been cut off by an untimely soldier. Moblit, to be precise. To his credit, and to Taryn's embarrassment, Erwin didn't immediately withdraw his hand from her face or look away. Instead, he gave her an uncharacteristically beseeching look. But for what, she had no idea.

With a sigh, he slowly removed his hand from her face and turned to face Moblit, the latter of whom looked slightly embarrassed since he had clearly stepped into something he should not have witnessed.

If Hanji knew what he had interrupted, he was certain that she would punish him severely. Not that that might have been a bad thing, he thought to himself.

"Yes, Moblit?" Erwin asked, standing up and raising an eyebrow.

Moblit cleared his throat and saluted. "Commander! The Military Police are requesting to speak with you. They say that there has been a murder and they are suspicious of someone in our group…"

If any of this disturbed Erwin, he didn't show it. But it did disturb Taryn.

"Suspicious of someone in our group? Obviously they mean the Commander!" she exclaimed in frustration. "But he hasn't done anything wrong!"

Erwin gave her a stern look meant to silence her. She complied, but continued to grumble under her breath as the Commander turned back to Moblit.

"Thank you for telling me, Moblit. In lieu of this news, please tell Hanji that I am leaving her in care of the Scouting Legion. She is now the new Commander."

Taryn stared at Erwin in shock. Even Moblit was surprised.

"Sir?" he asked, his voice filled with astonishment.

"She's a very intelligent individual. Tell her to trust her own instincts and to not worry about or rely on Levi and his squad. They can take care of themselves."

"Yes, sir," Moblit replied, saluting the Commander once more and then taking his leave, making sure to close the door behind him.

When Moblit had left, Taryn looked up at the Commander. He truly cut an imposing figure. Sunlight poured through the glass window on the wall, illuminating his strong features. His hair glowed gold, not even a single strand out of place.

"Where will you go, sir?" she asked quietly. She understood the situation well enough. The Commander couldn't stay here…

"I will go speak to the Military Police," he said calmly. Taryn stared at him in shock.

"Wai-you're-you can't- but-but," she sputtered. "You can't go! They'll arrest you and then who will we have?" She then hung her head and said in an almost inaudible voice. _"Who will I have?"_

Although she couldn't see it, Erwin looked incredibly distraught. He was torn. For the first time in a very, very long time, he had reached a point when making a decision was tough. All of the choices he had made so far, selfish though they might have been, somehow managed to line up with humanity's best interest. That wasn't the case in this situation.

Either he could go into hiding, taking Taryn with him to continue protecting her, and figure things out from there (the option he'd rather take), or he could walk into the mouth of the titan (in a manner of speaking), get arrested and figure things out from the inside.

He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He knew which one he had to choose.

Taryn felt him bend over slightly so that his face was lined up with hers.

"You have everyone you need, Taryn. You have your friends, your fellow soldiers, and the support of the entire Scouting Legion," he said firmly.

She looked up to meet his gaze. "But I want-"

The last word died in her throat. Erwin's eyes widened. Then he chuckled.

"I'm more trouble than I'm worth, Ms. Yeager," he said in a teasing voice, attempting to diffuse the heavy atmosphere surrounding the two.

Taryn didn't laugh though. In fact, she looked angry.

Large brown eyes glared at him.

"You're leaving me- again! You told me not to leave you, but here you go, doing just that!" she cried in irritation.

She knew it was immensely selfish of her to say this- after all, he had done a lot for her. But she couldn't help it. The last time she was separated from someone she cared about, he died.

She had lost so many loved ones.

She couldn't lose another one.

Erwin sighed heavily.

"Believe it or not, this is what's best for you…for your brother…and the rest of humanity," he tried to explain, but even his words sounded hollow in his own ears. Erwin was feeling uncomfortable at the fact that he was having doubts. He rarely doubted himself.

"But what if it's not?" she asked pleadingly.

He couldn't answer that because…he had no answer. His entire life was a game of taking risks. There was no guarantee for anything in this world of kill or be killed.

In a last ditch attempt, Taryn leaned forward, brushing the tip of her nose against his cheek. She could hear a sharp intake of breath come from him. She caught the sleeve of his jacket with her hand.

"Please. Please don't go," she breathed, pressing her lips against his ear. He shivered. "Don't leave me like everyone else."

Erwin took a deep breath as warm air spilled from between her lips, wrapping around him and intoxicating him.

Oh, how she was tempting him to leave behind his responsibilities. To tell the Military Police to stick it up their asses. To sneak away from reality. But he couldn't. He had made a promise to his father, to himself, and to his comrades. But to fulfill these promises, he'd have to break the one promise he made to her.

He screwed his eyes shut, unwilling to see her reaction to his next words.

"I'm sorry."

Two simple words. Taryn felt a rush of cold air hit her as Erwin stood back up and walked out of the office.

He didn't look back once.

She didn't look at his retreating figure either.

* * *

 **A/N:** Heads up- Krista will now be referred to as Historia. If you're an anime watcher and you're confused, I highly recommend that you read the manga. Seriously, it's absolutely worth your time. Since this story does not revolve around Krista/Historia, I've not included why Krista's name has suddenly switched to Historia. I just don't want to write about it because I'm lazy and I don't want to ruin a main SnK plot point for everyone.

Also, you guys are the sweetest (and the funniest- I swear, when I read your comments [most of the time in the middle of classes] I start laughing so hard- ya'll are adorable!). Thank you to **lovinurbuks, Nina fo life, hansoloist,** and **dareaderreads** – for reviewing. An additional thanks to everyone who has favourited/followed this as well! There's more than 7,000 hits on this story so far, so thank you to all of you who are lurking out there somewhere as well! Please don't forget to **review, favourite, follow** the story or even _PM_ me. I love talking to people and hearing from you guys!

YOU GUYS ARE THE POTATOES TO MY SASHA.

And because I love you to bits and pieces, here is an **_omake_** (which is basically an extra scene). It's not there to move the plot along, but just to add a little extra to it (kind of filling in blanks). Once again- if you didn't want to listen to the song "For You" by Once A Tree earlier, you could totally listen to it while reading the Omake! It works well together!

* * *

 **OMAKE**

After Erwin and Taryn's stunning epiphany regarding Ymir and her plan to take back Historia, Erwin noticed that Taryn was on the verge of passing out. She was rubbing her eyes sleepily and struggling to focus on the books in front of her.

"You should get some rest," he suggested gently.

Taryn nodded, blushing for some reason. He grinned. The Commander liked seeing her blush.

The two worked quickly to move all the books and paper off of the bed and onto the desk nearby. When they had finished, Taryn scrambled under the covers of the bed, eager to catch some shut-eye for a few hours.

She noticed, with surprise and embarrassment, that Erwin was still in the room. He had settled himself into the armchair in the corner of the room, by the window. He was intently reading a book, making a few notes in the margins once in a while. Taryn grinned- that seemed to be a habit of his...writing in the margins.

She sat up, frowning slightly with determination.

"Can-can you stay with me?" she asked.

Erwin cocked an eyebrow. "Don't worry, Taryn. I'm not leaving," he said with a small smirk.

Taryn shook her head, desperately fighting to keep herself from blushing.

"I meant…next to me. On the bed." She was trying not to groan from how suggestive that sounded, even if it wasn't intended that way.

It was quiet for a bit as the Commander processed her words. This girl was going to be the death of him.

 _But…would that really be a bad way to go?_ he wondered.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded. He offered her a genuine smile as he got up and walked over to the bed, settling in it once again. She automatically snuggled up to his side, discretely breathing him in. His scent was becoming her new addiction.

It didn't take her very long to fall asleep. Within a few minutes, Erwin could hear her breathing deeply, her mind falling into that recuperative state of unconscious. He absentmindedly wondered what she dreamt of, if she dreamt at all.

He couldn't remember the last time he had had a proper dream that wasn't a nightmare…

The Commander shook his head and continued to read his book, making notes every once in a while. It was so relaxing. So peaceful. With Taryn cuddled against him, her slow breaths a lullaby to his ears, he could almost pretend that they weren't stuck in a gruesome, titan-run world. Almost.

Then he noticed something. Her breathing sped up and she began to squirm slightly. Erwin looked at her in alarm. Was she having a nightmare? Would it just pass?

"No…" she began to moan. "No. Please…"

Erwin was very concerned at this point. He set down his book and began to stroke Taryn's hair back. Her face was flushed.

"Taryn, wake up," he murmured, gently shaking her.

"No. No. Please don't…Let me go…" she whimpered. Erwin watched as a tear rolled down her cheek.

He began to shake her a little harder. "Taryn, wake up," he commanded, his eyes running over her face with dread.

Her eyes shot open and she sat up, a loud wail leaving her mouth. "Don't touch me! NO!"

She was sobbing now, her eyes darting wildly around the room. She wasn't aware that she was awake yet.

"Taryn. I'm here. No one's going to hurt you. I'm here…" he breathed, pulling her securely against him, continuing to stroke her hair in a soothing fashion.

She cried into his chest, arms quivering as she wrapped them tightly around his neck, clinging onto him for dear life. He didn't care about the fact that tears and (most probably) snot were staining his shirt. He just wanted to be there for her. To make her feel better.

He buried his face into her hair, nuzzling her and chanting those words over and over again. "I'm here. I'm here."

It took a while, but her sobs slowly subsided, turning into small hiccups.

 _Does she have nightmares every time she goes to sleep?_ he thought with exhaustion.

Hanji had mentioned that the girl had had nightmares while she was recovering. It made him hate Ivan Weber and the spectacled man even more. What had they done to her?

"Don't cry," he murmured.

She was still half asleep, but he had managed to calm her down.

He pulled back to study her face. Her eyes were shut, teardrops hanging off of those thick, black lashes. Her cheeks were tear stained and her nose was slightly red.

"Erwin…" she sniffled in her half conscious state.

"I'm here," he said again, brushing aside strands of her hair. She relaxed at the sound of his voice. He leaned forward and gently pressed a kiss to each eye before wiping away any remaining tears with the pad of his thumb.

He highly doubted she'd remember this in the morning.

With little difficulty, he managed to coax her into lying down again. This time, Erwin laid down with her, wrapping his arm firmly around her waist and drawing her against him.

She pressed her face against the crook of his throat, unconsciously breathing him in as she fell back asleep. He rested his lips against her forehead, his heart racing as he whispered against her skin.

"I'm here. I promise."


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** I had two exams to take and two 12+ paged papers to write during the week week….and I decided to write this fanfic instead. What is my life even? Anyways- just know I do it for you guys *hugs*

So, Eren does get kidnapped once again (in the canon series), but I will not cover what's going on with him and Krista during that time. It's a major plot point for the series and doesn't really make much sense to put in this story, since this fic isn't focused on Eren. Or Krista. Also, it keeps me from spoiling _major_ stuff. I may refer to some things, but I won't go into detail for that situation.

Thank you to **GoldenLombaxGirl** , **lovinurbuks** , **NachoNachoMan1992** , **GuyInLoveWithEreMika** , **Nuuk, Nina fo life,** and **kill3darren** for the lovely reviews. I blushed at each one. Oh my gosh, you guys truly give me life.

Also, **kwest7262** , ask and you shall receive, my dear ;)

Anyways, it's up to your discretion to read. Beware of **royal spoilers** and **sleepy kings**!

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Fourteen: Always Apart, Rarely Together

 _"_ _All those arrows you threw away, you threw them away.  
_ _You kept falling in love and then one day,  
_ _When you fell, you fell towards me.  
_ _When you crashed in the clouds, you found me."_

 _(Please Don't Go- Barcelona)_

* * *

Erwin looked around. People crowded the streets, consumed by curiosity and disgust at the dead body lying in the center of the road. The Commander knelt down, taking a look at the figure.

Dimo Reeves.

Someone had slit the man's throat and then disposed of him. Erwin sighed. It wasn't much of a surprise to him, but it did throw a stick into his original plans, further dampening his already sour mood.

He regretted walking away from Taryn like that. With their miserable history of being constantly separated, who knew if he'd ever see her again? But, if he had stayed in that room for another second longer, he knew he wouldn't be able to leave her. The temptation to scoop her up and sprint away with her was too strong.

Erwin pinched the bridge of his nose as he looked down at the bloated, lifeless body of the former merchant. The Military Police stood next to him, peering at him curiously, trying to gauge his reaction.

"So you believe that it was the Scouting Regiment who committed this crime, to save Eren Yeager?" he asked them once more, his voice tight with impatience.

"Y-yes!" one of the Military Police exclaimed nervously.

"And you are going to hold me accountable until every member of my squad can prove my innocence?"

The man nodded again.

"Guilty until proven innocent. That's new…" the Commander chuckled humourlessly. His blue eyes were sharp and filled with frustration, causing the Military Police man to step back slightly. Erwin knew that his squad hadn't killed Dimo, especially since Eren wasn't in need of saving. At least not yet. There was only one possible culprit for the merchant's death.

"Are you sure that the First Interior Squad of your regiment hasn't done this?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

The Military Police man blanched with indignation and guilt.

"Of-of course not! How could you even- I mean really! That's impossible!" he sputtered. His answer just confirmed Erwin's suspicion. The Commander eyed an elderly woman who had thrown herself across the dead body, sobbing loudly. It was Dimo's wife.

He reached out to cover the man's face with the cloth draped over his body. Immediately, the woman glared at him, hissing, "Don't touch my husband, you murderous bastard!"

If Erwin wasn't already in such a sour mood, he might have felt some pity for the woman. But right now he didn't. He couldn't.

The minute he had walked away from Taryn Yeager, on purpose this time, he had walked straight back into that numb void that he had so easily escaped upon meeting the younger girl. Now, by falling back into that void, he was starting to realize how much warmth and colour Taryn had brought to him. But he would try to feel something…to act more like a human and less like the emotionless monsters that humanity was currently fleeing from. He would try for her.

"I will avenge your husband," he said steadily to the woman. Her eyes widened with surprise at his words. She was confused. Why would the man who had apparently killed her husband avenge him?

Erwin's eyes never left Dimo's body. "He may have been a greedy man-"

He was interrupted by a snarl from the woman. Erwin ignored it and continued.

"…but, when the titans attacked five years ago, he helped build the city's commerce up from the ground. He gave a place to people who had nowhere to go." Erwin paused and took a deep breath. "He wanted to protect his family, his friends…and even the district that once was his home. He was ambitious and aimed high…but he was crushed by others. Others filled with malice and hatred."

The Commander finally looked up at the grieving widow, determination flashing fiercely in his eyes. The woman actually leaned back a bit, slightly scared of the look on his stern features.

"I will avenge him."

She looked dazed as she nodded, caught between gratitude and confusion.

"Come on. Into the carriage, Smith," the Military Police demanded, nodding towards the waiting carriage.

The Commander stood up, wincing internally as he heard the joints in his knees click. Goodness, he was getting old. He obediently walked over to the carriage and got in, ignoring the stunned looks of all the townspeople.

A quick shadow flew across his peripheral vision, causing the corner of his lips to rise slightly. At least Hanji was already on top of things.

He just needed to finish everything quickly so he could return to the girl he hoped was waiting for him.

* * *

Taryn remained sitting on the chair in Erwin's office for some time after he had left. She wanted to cry, but apparently, she was too stubborn to give into tears. It was quite frustrating really.

Finally, she heard the door creak open and someone walked in. Her heart skipped a beat as she prayed that it was Erwin returning back to her. Then she realized that it wasn't his footsteps. Erwin had firm, heavy steps that echoed with every step he took. These were light and quick. Taryn sighed and rubbed her face with the palms of her hands. Of course he wouldn't return.

"Taryn Yeager?" she heard a voice call out for her. "You're needed-oh?"

The soldier stopped short when he noticed Taryn's statue-like figure in the corner of the room. Taryn raised her head at the voice. It sounded very familiar. Pale golden eyes met her gaze.

"Boris?" she asked in confusion.

The silver haired soldier smirked.

"W-what are you doing here?" she asked.

"The Military Police were called into town to make an arrest," he paused. "I didn't know we'd be arresting your Commander."

"I see. But what are you doing in the Survey Corps building?" Taryn asked, getting up from her chair and walking over to the young man while rubbing her eyes.

Boris sighed. "Your crazy squad leader- what's her name? The one with glasses?"

"Hanji?" Taryn responded, scrunching her nose.

The soldier chuckled at the cute expression. "Yeah, her. While we were making the arrest, she caught me and pulled me into an alley."

Taryn's eyes widened. That definitely sounded like Hanji.

"She was actually also holding onto another guy- a kind of fat guy. I think he was the son of the dead merchant your Commander is accused of killing. His name is Flegel." Boris paused and wrinkled his brow with mild disgust. "Who names their kid Flegel?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Anyways, she told me to come here and get you and to take you back into town to the rest of your group."

"The rest of my group?"

"What, is there an echo in here?" Boris laughed.

Taryn blushed. The young soldier caught her arm and began leading her into the hallway. "Yeah. There was a guy with a horse face, I think."

Taryn snorted at this. "That would be Jean."

Boris grinned. "The horse has a name?"

With a chuckle, Taryn nudged him in the side as they kept walking. "So I'm going to be reunited with them. I wonder what the plans are to rescue my brother?"

Boris shrugged, keeping a firm grip on her. They reached the door of the building fairly quickly, to Taryn's surprise. This boy really knew how to make her feel better. And apparently right after her spats with Erwin.

She looked up at him shyly. "Thanks, Boris. This is the second time you've helped me out," she said quietly.

The older boy nodded shortly and stopped them both at the door's threshold. He quickly untied his green, Military Police cloak and threw it around Taryn's shoulders.

Taryn looked at him questioningly.

"We can't have anyone recognizing you," he said softly.

"What about you?"

He snorted. "I'm part of the Military Police- already one of the bad guys, right?"

Taryn frowned. "If you know they're corrupt, why stay?"

Boris stiffened slightly. "I think you know why."

Taryn sighed. Once again, it came down to protection. If you can't beat them, join them.

"You're welcome to join us in the Survey Corps, Boris. I can't guarantee your safety, but…but at least you won't be living a lie."

Boris' fingers froze with the cloak fastenings. His gold eyes moved down to peer into hers.

"We could use good soldiers like you," Taryn concluded gently.

"You drive a hard bargain, Yeager," he grumbled under his breath, resuming his actions and finally fastening the cloak around her.

Taryn's face lit up ever so slightly. "Is that a yes?"

A slow smile spread across his lips and he patted her head before tugging on the cloak's hood.

"I guess so, titan-girl. Now keep that hood up."

* * *

The two young soldiers ran through the city alley ways, trying their hardest to keep out of sight. It was not a very easy thing to do given that the Military Police were practically _everywhere_.

Boris kept a tight grip on Taryn's hand the entire time they ran through the city. After running for a little bit, they two stopped at the corner of a street.

"They should just be around the corner, at the end of the street," Boris panted. Although he had trained a lot as a cadet, the last few months in the Military Police had seen little to no action within the inner walls. Boris cursed how out of shape he had become.

"Ready?" he asked, turning his golden gaze onto the short girl next to him. Taryn nodded, her expression determined. His hand tightened around hers, and he felt her squeeze his hand in response.

They two turned the corner and almost immediately ran headfirst into another person. They rebounded a bit, stumbling backwards.

"Oi, watch where you're goin- Feulner?"

Boris' eyes widened substantially as he recognized his superior, Dennis Eibringer. The man had messy brown hair, matching sleepy eyes, and scruff scattered across his jaw. Boris wanted to scoff at the man. Dennis had done nothing but gamble and drink within the inner walls. What was he doing out here now?

Dennis' eyes moved down to Taryn. Too late, Taryn noticed that her hood had fallen down, revealing her identity. The man's eyebrows rose as he recognized her. After all, who could forget the faces of the two titan-brats who had been close to death in court a few months ago?

"What are you doing with her?" Dennis asked Boris, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "And why is she wearing an MP cloak?"

Boris opened his mouth to spit out a quick lie, but luckily he was saved the misfortune of answering by two sharp noises that came from close by.

Taryn jumped slightly in fear and looked around wildly for the source of the noise.

"What the-?" Dennis muttered, following suit.

Completely disregarding the potential danger they were all in, Boris took advantage of the momentary distraction, secured his grip on Taryn's hand and began to run down the street.

"OI! FEULNER! STOP!" Dennis yelled in frustration as he watched the two soldiers sprint away. He would have tried to run after them, but if Boris was out of shape, then Dennis would have hacked a lung up if he tried to run even a few yards.

Taryn started to stumble as she ran behind Boris, startled by the sound of gunshots every few moments.

"They're getting closer, Boris!" she exclaimed.

Boris ignored that. "Keep up, Yeager!" he called back to her. "We need to get to the group!"

With steely determination, Taryn nodded and sped up. Her lungs were on fire, the scar on her chest burned and she felt like she was going to collapse. She still hadn't fully recovered from her ordeal with the spectacled man and Ivan, making every part of her body feel like it'd been hit by a horse-drawn carriage.

But, no. She had to keep going.

As they ran, they spotted a horse and cart at the end of the street. At the front sat a cloaked figure, but Taryn could recognize that golden, bob-cut from anywhere. In the cart sat a taller figure wearing a strange hat.

"That's the horse face!" Boris exclaimed, pointing at the latter figure. If they hadn't been running for their lives, Taryn would have laughed. Jean really had a bad taste in hats.

"Armin!" Taryn wheezed happily. The boy didn't hear her and whipped the reigns of the horse, forcing it to start galloping down the street straight past them. Four more horses were behind the cart. One was rider less, one had Mikasa, and Connie and Sasha controlled the other two.

Boris grunted in irritation and skidded to a stop. The two turned around and began to sprint after the cart again.

Suddenly, a score of figures flew overhead, using 3DMG and heading towards the moving cart. Taryn squinted up at the flying soldiers and gasped.

They were holding guns. Not blades.

"Boris!" she yelled, looking pointedly up at the figures. Boris followed her gaze, his eyes narrowing. He knew who they were. He might not have been in the inner MP circle, but rumors did fly around. They were Kenny Ackerman's men- cohorts of the MP and thugs to boot.

"Keep running, Taryn!" Taryn obeyed, but couldn't help the temptation to watch the figures.

She recognized another figure as they flew in, hot on the tail of the gun-wielding fiend. There was no mistaking the Wings of Freedom on the back of the cloak. The Survey Corps was here to help. But to her horror, the gun holder also noticed the soldier on her tail. With movements quicker than the human eye could follow, she turned around in midair and shot two bullets. Both found their target in the Survey Corp soldier's face.

A strangled noise of horror left Taryn's mouth as she watched the young soldier's face get blasted off by the bullets. Droplets of blood flew through the air as the now-dead body fell to the ground with a sickening crack.

Boris quickly tugged Taryn forward. "The cart! Taryn, we need to get on the cart!" he yelled over the sound of gunshots. Taryn nodded numbly.

"KEEP MOVING, BRATS!"

Taryn and Boris both looked up to see a lithe shadow fly through the air, his blades nothing but a flash of light.

Captain Levi.

His face was covered in blood, but he seemed relatively unharmed. Taryn watched as he engaged with several of the thugs in simultaneous mid-air battles. To her surprise and fear, Mikasa flew off her horse to assist him.

"Mikasa!" she yelled, but her cries fell on deaf ears, drowned out by screams, gunshots, and the clang of metal blades.

Boris and Taryn were finally close enough to the cart. Two figures seemed to be struggling within the cart itself. Taryn gasped.

Jean was holding a gun, pointing it at the woman who had shot down the Survey Corps soldier earlier.

"DON'T MOVE!" he yelled.

Taryn could hear the fear that tinged his voice.

"We need to jump in now!" Boris yelled at her desperately. They were right near the back of the cart. Taryn nodded. Both soldiers took two huge sprints before hopping onto the cart, clinging onto it for dear life. Their added weight and movement to the cart distracted Jean.

"Huh?" he took his eyes off of his target for one second to look at the two very tired soldiers sprawled behind him.

Suddenly, the gun was kicked out of his hand. It spun in the air before landing into the hands of the woman in the cart. She smirked and kicked Jean down in the blink of an eye. Jean found himself staring down the endless barrel of the rifle.

In a heart-stopping moment, before either Taryn or Boris could reach out and tackle the woman, a gunshot was heard. Blood flew through the air, followed closely by a strange hat.

"JEAN!" Mikasa's haunting scream hung in the air.

* * *

Erwin grunted as a well-aimed kick hit his cheekbone. He was grateful that he hadn't lost a tooth yet, although with the force of an earlier punch, he had bitten his tongue, causing the organ to bleed fiercely.

Pain radiated throughout his body, but he ignored it.

He knew the only reason the MP were beating him around was because they didn't have any evidence of his non-existent wrongdoing. Although, he supposed that they were getting some sick pleasure out of this.

But no matter how many times they punched him, kicked him or abused him, not a single grunt, cry or complain left his lips. He bore the pain with a quiet dignity. The way he saw it was that if Taryn, the girl who had gone through torture one hundred times worse than what he was currently going through, had survived abuse, then so could he. He would do it for her.

"Nothing to say?" a particularly brutish Military Police soldier sneered down at the Commander.

Erwin looked up at him with slight difficulty, as one of his eyes was almost swollen shut. He didn't respond.

The soldier grunted in irritation.

"Cat's got your tongue?" he growled, raising his fist once again and delivering a hard blow to the Commander's stomach. Erwin gasped quietly as he was winded for a moment.

At this point, even the abusive soldier was panting from the exhaustion of beating the man up. The stubborn blonde Commander just wouldn't talk.

A knock sounded at the dungeon door. The soldier straightened up, wiped some sweat from his brow and shook his hands, trying to get rid of the blood that stained them. He walked to the door and opened it up.

"Commander Dawk!" the soldier exclaimed in surprise before fumbling to salute. Nile Dawk stood at the door. The rusty stench of blood met his nose, making him wrinkle his features in disgust. He peered around the large soldier into the dungeon and spotted Erwin kneeling on the floor.

"The King wants to see Commander Smith. Take those ropes off his wrist and legs and bind him with chains. Then bring him up," he drawled with disinterest.

Erwin heard the words of his old friend and chuckled silently. Nile would never change.

The door swung shut as Nile departed, and the large soldier walked back to the bruised Commander.

"Lucky you, princess," he teased darkly. Erwin didn't struggle or protest as he felt the soldier clamp the heavy iron chains on his wrist and ankles. The metal bit into his skin, but he ignored it.

"Let's go."

The man steered Erwin out the dungeon doors. The Commander held his head high, ready to continue fighting for humanity.

To fight for her.

* * *

The sound of retching met Mikasa's ears, making her slightly nauseous as well. Taryn on the other hand seemed completely unaffected by the noise or the sight of Armin bent over, puking out anything and everything that had been in his stomach. Years of tending to sick patients with her father had completely desensitized her to the sight, smell and sound of vomit.

She rubbed small circles onto Armin's back.

"You can go inside, Mikasa. I'll bring Armin in when he's ready," she said to her foster sister. Mikasa nodded gratefully and turned to walk back to the stable.

Taryn turned her attention back to the young boy next to her.

"You're okay, buddy," she murmured soothingly.

Tears dripped down Armin's cheeks, mixing with sweat and snot.

"Is it always this hard?" he gasped.

"I'm not sure," Taryn said, slightly guilty.

"I didn't want to shoot her," he whispered, straightening up. Taryn handed him a rough yet damp cloth that she had retrieved from the stable. Armin gratefully accepted it and began to wipe his face and mouth, cleaning himself up.

"I know, bud. But if you hadn't, Jean would be dead."

Armin sighed in defeat. That was true. After making sure that his stomach had settled, Armin nodded weakly to Taryn and both turned around, heading back to the stable.

As they made their way back, Taryn kept a watchful eye on the boy she loved like a brother. Little Armin. Bookworm Armin. The Armin who couldn't hurt a fly, let alone kill someone. Yet, he had done just that. She thought back to that moment.

 _The gun had landed in the hands of the woman. She immediately turned it on Jean, who lay sprawled out on the floor of the cart._

 _Fear and desperation was reflected in Jean's eyes. Everything around him was muted and dulled out. All he could see was the endless, black hole of the gun's barrel. He could have sworn that he faintly heard Mikasa scream his name, but he couldn't be sure._

Is this how I die? _he thought to himself._ By a human and not a titan? How ironic.

 _The woman hesitated before moving her finger to pull the trigger. The sound of a shot rang loudly in his ear and Jean scrunched his eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable feeling of pain to scorch through his body. For blood to soak through his clothes. For unconsciousness to claim him. For the chance to see Marco again…_

 _But no. He didn't feel anything. But he did hear a wet gurgling coming from above him. Jean opened one eye and gasped. The woman had a bullet hole that ran clear through her forehead. Jean was covered in blood, but it wasn't his own._

 _"_ _How-?" he breathed. He caught sight of Taryn and a silver-haired boy staring in horror- not at the dying woman, but up at the front of the cart. Jean slowly followed their gaze._

 _"_ _There's no time to stop and think! We have to keep moving!" Armin yelled from up front. With wide eyes, Jean noticed the still smoking barrel of the gun Armin was holding. Tears lined the boys eyes. Tears of guilt, frustration, anger and fear._

 _"_ _Armin…" he murmured._

Taryn sighed. She wished she could have kept Armin, Eren and Mikasa innocent forever. Well, actually Eren and Mikasa were robbed of that innocence when they were younger. They had become 'murderers' at the age of eight… But Armin. Armin still had a chance. Not anymore.

As they entered the stable, after giving Taryn a quick, thankful hug, Armin left her and went to sit by Mikasa.

Taryn walked over to where Jean was sitting, lost in thought.

"Hey," she said softly.

He nodded stiffly.

"How is he?" Jean asked, directing his gaze towards Armin. Taryn shrugged.

"Traumatized, really."

Jean's eyes widened with shame and guilt. He hung his head. "Will he be okay?" he muttered.

Taryn felt her heart break at how the boy looked like a whipped puppy instead of the normally proud disposition he wore.

"I'm not sure. Only time will tell," she said honestly. Jean sighed and nodded.

As the night progressed, the small band of soldiers found ways to cope with the day's events.

Currently, Sasha, Connie, Armin, Mikasa and Captain Levi were gathered around a small fire, talking in low tones and eating a meager meal. Sasha was busy eyeing Armin's barely touched bowl of food. Connie handed Taryn a bowl of stew and a roll of bread.

"Oh, uh, Connie? Can I have another one for Bo-" she began, but was cut off abruptly by the boy.

"Sorry- we don't have enough," he said shortly. Although his words clearly belied the fact that there was enough food left, at least four servings worth, Taryn let it go. Armin glanced at her apologetically.

She nodded and stood up, making her way to the corner of the small stable, where Boris sat.

The silver haired boy had remained quiet for the most part. Although none of the Survey Corps soldiers were behaving openly aggressive to him, there was still some tension hanging about, due to his military affiliation. Boris didn't mind much, so he just kept to himself.

Taryn plopped herself down next to him and handed him the bowl and bread. Boris eyed it, raising an eyebrow.

"And what about your dinner?"

"Not hungry," she said with a shrug. Boris rolled his eyes.

"Neither am I," he countered, shoving the food back into her grasp.

It was a lie. Both of them were starving. Taryn sighed.

"Okay, how about we share?" she offered. Boris smirked and nodded. They broke the bread in half and each took turns dipping it into the stew.

Taryn could have been mad at her comrades for alienating her new friend, but she didn't have the heart to. She could understand why they were wary of him. But that wouldn't stop her from being nice to him.

As they ate in silence, Boris noticed Taryn rubbing absentmindedly at a scar that ran from her collarbone and disappeared under her shirt.

"How'd you get that?" he asked, nodding at the scar.

Taryn smiled weakly. "Long story, short- I was kidnapped and tortured. Luckily, Commander Erwin came and rescued me before things got out of hand."

Boris blinked in surprise. "Damn, you Yeagers really do go through a lot of shit."

She nodded and took a bite of her bread.

"Do you miss him?"

"Who?" Taryn asked distractedly as she was chewing.

Boris smirked. "Commander Erwin. Who else?"

Taryn choked on her bread piece, coughing roughly. Boris whacked her on the back a few times before the small piece was dislodged from her airway and fell onto the dry straw of the stable floor.

Her face was bright red, and Boris was sure that it wasn't from the fact that she just choked.

"So you do," he hummed.

"Well of course…he's my Commander. I'm around him a lot, so I'm worried about him," she muttered.

Boris grinned. " _Your_ Commander, huh?"

Taryn snapped her eyes up at the grinning silver-haired boy. "That's not what I meant!" she growled, her cheeks flushing with the lightest pink colour.

"I know. I'm just kidding," he chuckled. He wasn't kidding.

Taryn rolled her eyes.

"Oi, brats!"

Both Taryn and Boris looked up to see Levi glaring at them. "Get over here," he drawled. "We need to talk about our plans."

Taryn nodded and stood up, placing the bowl of stew on the floor. She looked down to see that her friend hadn't moved yet. "Well are you coming, or not?" she asked expectantly.

Boris snorted. "I don't think I'm welcome," he sighed, referring to the pointed glares he was receiving from both Sasha and Connie.

Taryn laughed. Sasha looked like she was trying to think of the answer to the question of what her favourite food was and Connie just looked constipated.

"Just ignore those two. They'll get over it." She offered her hand out to the soldier. Boris studied it for a moment before taking it with a small chuckle. He stood up and they both walked to the group gathered around the fire.

"Okay. Tomorrow morning we have to…" Levi began to speak as soon as the two had seated themselves. Connie sent Boris a dirty look, while Armin sent Taryn a small smile. He patted her knee affectionately. Taryn smiled gratefully at her best friend.

She then leaned her head on Boris' shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Connie in a show of playful defiance. Connie couldn't help but smirk at her expression, reluctantly letting his features relax.

Levi eyed Boris and Taryn's still entwined hands suspiciously but said nothing about it.

As night continued, the small group plotted and planned, with no one but the horses to listen to their late-night conversations.

* * *

Erwin was forced down onto his knees, the cold marble floor burning his already bruised skin. The Commander looked up to see the king, sitting on his throne in all his glory. He looked extremely bored. Or just asleep.

He was surrounded by the government officials, all of who were sitting in chairs by the throne, looking down at the battered Survey Corps Commander with disguised glee.

"So you would do away with the Survey Corps? What good would that do?" Erwin asked.

None of the officials replied, choosing to watch him instead. Erwin continued.

"To lose the Survey Corps would be akin to humanity losing its only weapon! We're the ones who fly straight into the dangerous situations to fight it. Humanity won't be protected by a passive defense."

This caused the officials to stir a bit. One of the officials leaned forward in his chair, staring directly at Commander Erwin.

"I understand what you're saying, Commander. But what the Survey Corps says it does, compared to what it actually does, shows that it causes more harm than good."

Erwin cocked an eyebrow questioningly, silently surging the official to explain.

"For example, even under your leadership, Mr. Dimo Reeves was still murdered. Additionally, your right hand man- one Mr. Levi Ackerman- went on a killing spree and killed many of our Military Police members."

This was news to Erwin whose normally stoic face flashed to one of shock. But only for a moment.

The official looked at Erwin with pity, a gesture that was extraordinarily uncharacteristic for someone in the government.

"Although you say that the Survey Corps is there to protect, Levi Ackerman's blades sang a treasonous song yesterday."

Erwin sighed internally.

"What do you think of this, General Pixis? Do you agree with Commander Smith's stance?" another official barked to the figure standing slightly behind Erwin.

Dot Pixis stepped forward. His eyes flashed towards Erwin's for a second, reflecting a short apology. Erwin nodded almost imperceptibly, letting his comrade know that he understood.

"Of course not. Killing others is not the point of protectors. But I do think that it is foolish to take an action that would push humanity even closer to extinction."

The official nodded. Erwin understood Pixis' position. They had spoken before about this. Pixis didn't want to put the Garrison at risk the way the Survey Corps was, and to be honest, Erwin saw the sense in that.

"Well if no one has anything else to say," the main official said, standing up, "then, take Mr. Smith to the execution platform to be hanged."

A soldier walked up to Erwin and pulled him roughly off of his knees. Everyone in the throne room eyed Erwin with pity, conviction, or anger. Nile watched his old friend with mixed feelings. To his surprise though, he saw a secret smile on Erwin's lips.

 _Has Erwin finally lost it?_ Nile wondered to himself.

Just as the soldier had managed to get Erwin up, the doors to the throne room burst open and in ran Anka, or the "old man's good subordinate," as Levi had once put it.

"WALL ROSE HAS BEEN BREACHED!" she exclaimed. Everyone in the room stared at her in fear. "The Colossal and Armoured titan suddenly appeared and broke through the gates of the Stohess District!"

While everyone's eyes were on Anka, the deliverer of the terrifying message, Nile's eyes were glued to Erwin. Erwin wasn't smiling anymore, but he didn't look surprised at all. Nile's breath hitched in his throat when he remembered something Erwin said from earlier.

 _Nile stood in the dungeon. The brutish soldier was taking a break from abusing the Commander for a moment, giving Nile the chance to check on Erwin. The man was bruised, bloodied… It had been a long time since Nile had seen Erwin in this state. It also looked ten times worse since the Commander only had one arm._

 _Erwin lifted his head, squinting through a swollen eye. His normally pristine, golden hair was extremely ruffled up, falling over his eyes._

 _"_ _Quite ironic isn't it?" he sneered to the fallen Commander. Erwin just silently gazed at him. "I mean, just the other day, you were preaching at me in quite a superior manner, and now look at where you are."_

 _Erwin shifted slightly in his restraints, wincing as he tried to take the weight off of the hand he was leaning on._

 _"_ _How are Marie and your children?" Erwin asked._

 _Nile was taken aback by the sudden question._

 _"_ _Mari-? They're good," he responded with slight confusion._

 _"_ _And where are they? In Stohess District"_

 _"_ _In an Eastern District of Wall Rose…quite far from Stohess District…"_

 _Nile was very confused at this point._

 _"_ _Why are you asking me this, Erwin?" he said. Then a thought occurred to him. "Do you still have feelings for Marie?"_

 _Erwin shook his head, much to Nile's relief._

 _"_ _I still care about Marie, but no. I'm not in love with her anymore. I haven't been for years," he said softly._

 _If Nile had been anyone else, he would have missed the unspoken "_ yet _"_ _in Erwin's sentence. But he had known the man for two decades now._

 _"_ _Yet…you love someone else?" he asked quietly._

 _The faintest of smiles appeared on Erwin's lips and his expression softened as he thought of a certain girl._

 _Nile was floored. He had never seen such a tender look on his old friend's face. Even when Marie had broken down, sobbing and screaming at the news that Erwin was leaving her to fight for humanity, he had simply kissed her hand, walked away and never looked back. As curious as he was about this individual who could have such an effect on the stoic Commander, Nile decided not to pursue it._

 _"_ _Why did you ask me about Stohess?"_

 _Erwin blinked, the tender expression fading quickly behind his normal icy façade, and looked Nile straight in the eye._

 _"_ _I trusted Commander Pixis to do something, should the time come when I need it. When it happens," he paused to raise his head slightly, "I will be watching you. You will be the one to decide."_

 _Nile furrowed his brow. Decide what? He snorted. The soldier must have hit Erwin in the head one too many times._

But now, as Nile looked at Erwin, he understood.

"All soldiers to the gates, immediately! We must evacuate the city first! The citizens are our top priority!" Commander Pixis exclaimed.

"NO!"

Everyone turned in shock to see the main official standing before the king's throne, his face beet red with anger.

"What?" Nile asked in a hushed tone.

"Absolutely not! Seal our gates. Not a single person will be allowed to come into the capital!"

Nile was shocked.

"B-but…the citizens. You're going to let them die?" Sweat poured down the Military Police Commander's forehead.

"Of course! We can't allow them to come here and start fights with us!" the official growled.

Nile couldn't believe it. Sure, he knew that the Military Police wasn't the most pristine group of soldiers and that the government pigs cared only about their own welfare…but letting half of humanity die for this? That definitely crossed every moral boundary he had. It was time to decide, as Erwin had said.

He stepped forward, a grim look of determination on his face.

"I stand with the citizens of Wall Rose. Even if it means betraying the king," he said firmly. He ignored the smug look Erwin was giving him from the side.

"Well then, count me in as well," came a booming voice from the doors behind them.

Nile turned around with a start. "Commander-in-chief Zacklay?"

The old man adjusted his glasses, his small brown eyes glinting dangerously in the light of the throne room. There were hushed whispers of " _Generalissimo Zacklay_ " all over the room. All the officials had frozen in their place.

"The report just given to you about the breach," he began, his deep voice carried loudly throughout the room, "was false. There are no titans. Please remain calm."

It would not have been an exaggeration to say that at that moment, everyone's jaws dropped open.

"What is this?" the main official asked in a deadly whisper.

"It was my idea," Commander Pixis spoke up. If looks could kill, Pixis would have been a pile of ashes at that moment.

"We, the soldiers, were ready to admit our guilt and wrongdoings, whatever they may have been, in exchange for serving the king properly and helping humanity. But now we see the government's true nature- willing to let half of humanity go extinct just to protect their own assets," he said, venom colouring his tone.

"How dare you-!" the official began, only to be cut off by Zacklay.

"We do dare," he said calmly. "We have strong testimony from Flegel Reeves, son of Dimo Reeves, of the government's corruption. How the government has manipulated all news that the citizens receive, and worst of all…" he stopped to glare at the king seated on the throne. "…how the current king is a fake. The true king is hidden away."

Collective gasps sounded around the room. The king didn't respond. Erwin's earlier assumption was right. The old man was asleep.

The main official gritted his teeth and kicked the throne, startling the 'king' awake.

"Eh? What was that? A substitution?" he slurred.

"No! There's a revolution, you senile old fool!" the official yelled, kicking the throne again.

"A SOLID CUSHION YOU SAY? WELL TAKE CARE OF IT IMMEDIATELY!" the king exclaimed incoherently before falling back asleep.

Nile couldn't help but chuckle. He looked back at his friend.

"Looks like you win this one, Erwin," he muttered.

Erwin grinned.

* * *

"The Survey Corps and all its members have been exonerated of their proposed crimes, passed off as self defense. In addition, the government has been deemed as unworthy of ruling, therefore leaving control of the royal government and all administrative districts to Generalissimo Zacklay."

Armin read the note that had been sent to them with excitement building in his voice.

"W-we're free?" Sasha whispered in disbelief, being the first one to break the silence that followed Armin's reading of the note.

Taryn blinked her eyes and looked up to Boris for confirmation. He seemed just as shocked and nodded weakly.

Dozens of voices began to scream, cry, cheer and laugh as all of the soldiers cheered at their freedom. Taryn felt Boris scoop her up in a tight hug. She laughed, tears leaking out of her eyes, as she clung onto him. As soon as he let go of her, she turned around and found herself being jumped on by Sasha and Connie.

"WE'RE FREE!" the two exclaimed, bouncing up and down.

Captain Levi stood quietly to the side, studying the note. Hanji stood next to him, happily watching the excitement of their subordinates. Levi looked at Hanji out of the corner of his eye. That woman had done a lot to get them this far. The corner of his lip rose ever so slightly.

Armin walked up to Taryn and embraced her tightly. Taryn pressed a kiss to his blonde hair. When he pulled back, he looked at her and motioned for her to follow him slightly away from the happy celebration. She followed him.

"Taryn, do you know what this means?" he asked her.

"That we're free and that the Survey Corps can do their job properly now?" she asked, slightly confused.

Armin shook his head.

"Well yeah, but it also means that Commander Erwin's been released as well. They're going to publicly exonerate him in the town square tomorrow morning."

Taryn's eyes widened at the news. Erwin. She could see him. All her previous frustration and sadness at his departure from her immediately evaporated. All she could think about was being with him again.

She froze and looked at Armin slowly. "W-why are you only telling… _me…_ this, Armin?" she asked suspiciously.

Armin offered her a playful smile. Taryn blinked in surprise. Damn. This kid really was more observant than she ever gave him credit for.

"I just thought you'd like to know," he said innocently. Taryn smirked and ruffled his hair.

"Well you look happy," a voice said from behind Taryn. She turned to see Boris walking up to them.

"I am," she began before stopping. It was night- she would need to leave now if she was to make it back to the town square before morning. "I have to go now!" she exclaimed, turning around to look for a horse.

"You can use my horse," Armin offered kindly. "I'll let Hanji and everyone else know."

Taryn would have squeezed the boy to death if she weren't already sprinting halfway to the stable. Boris was chasing after her.

"Thank you, Armin!" she called over her shoulder.

"Wait! Where are you going, Taryn?" Boris shouted behind her.

"Back to town!" she exclaimed, bursting into the stable. She quickly looked around and spotted Armin's chestnut brown mare. She walked up to it and gently patted its nose. The mare nickered at her softly.

"What for?" Boris asked, confused.

"Commander Erwin's being released," she panted as she equipped the horse for travel.

Boris watched her actions with a concerned expression.

"While that's great, Taryn, you can't be thinking of going alone?"

Taryn stopped to look at Boris.

"Well of course I am. Hanji says that she has a strong lead for where Eren might be. She gave me the information earlier. Everyone is going to get a head start on that lead to rescue Eren and Historia. I'll regroup with Commander Erwin and we can meet everyone there," she explained quickly.

"I'm coming with you," Boris stated quickly, walking over to a black horse in the opposite stall. Taryn looked at his in exasperation.

"While I appreciate your concern, Boris, I'll be fine on my own."

Boris smirked.

"I don't doubt it, titan-girl. But I think I should still come. Just in case." He winked at her making her roll her eyes.

"Do what you will," she sighed.

* * *

Even though it was night, the two young soldiers managed to quickly navigate their way through the rough countryside. It was when they started to hit the city that things became a little tougher.

Taryn looked up at the sky to watch dawn break. It was a breathtaking sight. Their horses trotted on the streets, the noise of hooves against the cobblestone piercing sharply through the silence. The air was chilly but refreshing.

"Where are we?" Taryn asked in confusion after they had walked around for a while. She did not know her way around Wall Rose at all, given that she had only been there once.

"It's a good thing I'm here, isn't it?" Boris teased. Taryn smiled at him. He was right. Boris took a look around before coming to a decision.

"We're in an Eastern District, I believe."

"How far is that from the town square?" she asked, looking around. A few people were starting to leave their houses in order to open up their stores and stalls for the day. The scent of freshly baked bread invaded Taryn's senses, making her mouth water.

"It should be another thirty minutes if we ride fast enough," Boris guessed.

"Lead the way, oh all-knowing one," Taryn joked. Boris laughed and trotted forward.

It took slightly longer than he had anticipated, only because halfway through their ride, swarms of people began to walk in the same direction as them as well.

"Wow, everyone is coming for this?" Taryn mused under her breath. Boris nodded and looked around.

"Let's tie our horses up here. We should walk the rest of the way," he suggested. Taryn agreed. There was no way they could get through this crowd on horseback. Both dropped their horses off at a nearby stable before walking quickly on foot.

It took another thirty minutes to reach the town square. Taryn was quite irritated at this point. Many people had pushed her around, stepped on her feet and pulled her hair as she made her way through. Boris seemed relatively untouched, although that could be because of his intimidating height and slightly dark aura.

Finally, they reached the town square, only to see- nothing. Sure there were hundreds of people gathered, but the platform was empty.

Taryn noticed an execution structure erected on the platform and wondered why it was there. Then she suppressed a gasp as she realized that it must have been meant for the Commander. The realization hit her hard.

He could have been executed. She would have never seen him again.

He would have died without knowing what she felt for him.

 _I-I have to tell him_ , she thought faintly. In this world of gruesome deaths and no second-chances, she couldn't put this off any longer. Even if he didn't return her feelings, she needed to at least let him know that she cared about him.

That she was in love with him.

The startling realization nearly made her knees buckle beneath her. Love? Well yes. She couldn't think of him in any other way. She loved him. A large grin spread across her lips at the thought.

"Where is he?" she asked with renewed vigour, trying to stand on her toes to look at the platform. Were they just really early?

"Hmm, I can't see anyone," Boris murmured as his gold eyes flashed around the square.

"Are we early?" she pondered.

"Wait here, I'll go ask someone," Boris said, leaving Taryn's side and disappearing into the crowd.

Taryn tried to lean forward on her toes get a better view of the front. As she leaned forward, someone shoved at her from behind, causing her to trip, stumble and fall into a woman standing before her.

"Ooomph!" she grumbled as her forehead hit the woman square in the back.

"I say!" the woman exclaimed, whirling around to give Taryn a piece of her mind. Taryn was busy rubbing her forehead, certain that there would be a bruise there sooner or later.

"Watch where you're going!" the woman snapped.

Taryn looked up, her eyes widening in embarrassment. The woman was very beautiful, her lovely brown locks styled into an elegant chiffon bun. She was wearing a light, lavender dress that highlighted her slender, feminine figure. On either side of her were a young child, one boy and one girl, both of whom were peering at Taryn with curiosity.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am! I was pushed-" she tried explaining. The woman's green eyes flashed suspiciously.

"Just be sure to watch out next time," the woman sniffed.

Taryn nodded. "I will. I was just trying to figure out where the Generalissimo and Commander Erwin were."

The woman's eyes widened at the latter's name.

"E-Erwin?" she asked quietly.

Taryn nodded, confused at the woman's reaction. "Yes. The Survey Corps Commander?"

The woman's eyes softened. "Yes, I know who he is." She then looked at Taryn, perplexed. "And who are you? How do you know him?"

Taryn opened her mouth to say that she was his friend, but she stopped herself. "I-I'm his subordinate. Taryn Yeager."

The woman gasped softly. "Miss Yeager. You are not quite what I expected. My husband tends to exaggerate I suppose," she muttered, her eyes running up and down Taryn's small figure.

"Your husband, ma'am?" Taryn asked confusedly.

The woman drew herself to her full height, raising her chin proudly. "I am Marie Dawk. Wife of Military Police Commander Nile Dawk."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I-I didn't know-" Taryn mumbled awkwardly, bobbing her head in acknowledgement.

Marie's expression softened once again. "You said you were looking for Commander Erwin?"

Taryn nodded hesitantly.

Marie sighed. "You just missed him. The Generalissimo exonerated him around ten minutes ago. They just left to take a carriage."

"They-they left already?" Taryn asked in sad surprise. Marie looked at the girl with pity.

"If you hurry, you may be able to catch him before he gets in the carriage. He and my husband should still be dealing with the news reporters down the street," she suggested firmly but not unkindly.

Taryn nodded.

"Thank you Mrs. Dawk," she said quietly, nodding once more to the woman. Marie bowed her head back, her expression melting into one of nostalgia as she watched the young Yeager girl turn around, locate and grab her silver-haired friend, before sprinting away.

She wouldn't be surprised if Taryn Yeager was more than just a subordinate to Erwin, judging by the emotion in the girl's large, brown eyes. She mentally wished the girl luck, hoping that the young soldier would have better luck with the icy Commander than she had once had.

* * *

"Get in the carriage, Erwin. I'll take care of this," Nile said to the Commander. Erwin nodded gratefully to the MP Commander.

"Thank you, Nile," he said. Nile nodded before turning back to face the curious citizens and news reporters.

As Erwin slid into the carriage to sit next to the Generalissimo, his mind briefly flitted to Taryn. He wondered if she had celebrated when told of their freedom. A sad smile came onto his lips as he thought of how happy she would be. If only he could have been there to celebrate with her.

"Ready, Commander?" the Generalissimo asked. Erwin nodded and closed the carriage door. The Generalissimo knocked on the front partition of the carriage, letting the driver know that they were ready to go.

With a jolt, the carriage began to move forward, picking up pace quickly.

* * *

"Come on, Boris!" Taryn yelled over her shoulder. Her tall, silver-haired friend was huffing and puffing as he tried to keep up with her. To be honest, Taryn was gasping as well, pain searing through her chest from exerting her still injured body too much, but adrenaline was rushing through her as well. That and determination, to see the Commander, were the only things keeping her on her feet.

Finally, they managed to reach the small crowd at the end of the street.

"Excuse me! Pardon me!" Taryn squeaked as she tried to maneuver through the crowd. Boris grasped her hand so that they wouldn't get separated in the crowd. Taryn felt her heart pounding- not from exhaustion, but from excitement at the prospect of seeing her…um, _the_ Commander. Not her Commander, she mentally corrected herself.

Finally they managed to push themselves to the front- only to be greeted by an empty street. A singular figure was being bombarded by questions in the center of the street.

Taryn bent over, panting heavily after running around so much. Boris assumed the same position, trying to catch his breath.

"Did he leave already?" he wheezed.

Taryn felt her heart sink as his words seemingly rang true.

"I have the worst timing," she cried loudly.

Her cry caught the attention of Nile who was getting tired of answering so many questions. He turned around to see the girl straighten up and lean against her tall friend. His eyes widened with recognition.

The titan girl from court! And… Cadet Feulner? He frowned in confusion. What were they doing here? Together of all things? Nile quickly dismissed the people bugging him with questions and walked over to the tired youngsters.

"Ms. Yeager, I presume?" he asked, before critically eyeing his former cadet. "And Mr. Feulner. To what do I owe this…meeting?" he said, his expression one of distaste.

Taryn looked up at him with sad eyes before nodding respectfully at him.

"Commander Dawk. I just met your wife, and she said that Commander Erwin would be here, but he isn't and I need to see him sir!" she blabbered desperately.

Nile raised an eyebrow trying to filter through this information she was throwing at him. She had met Marie? He hadn't even seen his wife at the exoneration proceedings. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He would meet up with Marie and the kids later.

"Why do you need to see him?" he asked curiously.

Her mouth opened, yet no words came out. He watched as a blush spread over her cheeks. "I-I need to speak with him, sir," she finally said.

Nile looked at her, doubt present in his eyes. But when he saw her sincere and desperate expression, he felt pity for the young girl. The MP Commander sighed.

"He's already left with the Generalissimo- I'm quite sorry," he admitted.

"I missed him again?" she whispered desolately.

With a groan, she buried her face in the palm of her hands as Boris rubbed her back comfortingly.

It seemed to Taryn that no matter how close she tried to get to the Commander, he would either be forcefully pulled away from her, or he would leave of his own accord. Fate seemed to be fighting her at every corner.

"We can still catch up to him," Boris murmured to her.

Taryn just sniffled and rubbed her eyes.

Her silver-haired friend felt bad for her. He knew she had been struggling with her feelings for the Commander ever since he had first met her a while ago. He squared his shoulders in determination. She had pulled him into the Survey Corps, treating him with kindness and becoming his friend, something he had very few of (almost none really). He would repay her. That's what friends did.

Boris looked up at his former superior. "Commander Dawk," he began, feeling slightly awkward.

"Yes, Feulner?" Nile responded. He paused before voicing a question. "Hold on. Feulner, why are you not with the rest of the MP cadets?"

Boris swallowed thickly before answering. "I-I joined the Survey Corps, sir."

This barrage of strange news was just endless for Nile today. He didn't even have the energy to be surprised anymore.

"Well, I don't blame you, cadet," the older man sighed. "In any case, what do you need?"

"Sir, where are the Generalissimo and the Commander going?"

Nile scratched his head for a moment as he thought about it.

"I believe that they are going to the military barracks," he said thoughtfully. "If you want to catch up with him, I'd advise you take horses. It will take a few hours to get there."

Boris nodded gratefully to the Commander before looking down to Taryn.

"Ready to keep going?" he asked his new friend. Taryn wiped her eyes.

"What's the point?" she muttered.

"You can't give up," Boris said firmly.

"Bu-" Taryn began to protest, but was cut off.

"No buts. Let's go," he commanded, grabbing her hand once again and pulling her back to the town stables.

The world had officially gone insane. The king was a fraud, Military Police cadets were leaving for the Survey Corps, and now young subordinates were chasing after their superiors for…no apparent reason?

Nile shook his head. He was probably the only sane soul left in humanity.

* * *

Taryn and Boris were exhausted. They had been riding for hours. The sun had set a long time ago, leaving nothing but the light of a million twinkling stars to illuminate their way. Only the soft nickering of their horses and the sharp _clip clop_ of the creature's hooves against the ground sounded in the still air.

"Boris?"

"Hmm?"

Taryn yawned slightly before speaking again.

"Why are you helping me out so much?" she asked carefully.

Boris didn't answer for a bit. He was glad that it was too dark for her to see his face because he was sure that he was sporting a bit of a blush at the moment.

"Becauseyou'remyfriend," he said hastily.

Taryn cocked her head to the side. "I'm sorry?" she asked, slightly confused.

Boris took a deep breath to speak more clearly. "Because…because you're my friend."

Taryn raised her eyebrows in surprise before chuckling. "Wow. You are one of the nicest people I've ever met. All your other friends are extremely lucky to have such a devoted friend like you," she said with admiration.

Boris shook his head. "I don't have other friends," he said simply and honestly.

Taryn blanched. "O-oh. I'm sorry-I didn't know- I mean-" she stuttered.

He shrugged and laughed. "It's okay." Rubbing the back of his neck, he turned to look at her.

"I've never been the easiest to get along with. In the Military Police, everyone's out to get each other, so I had no friends there. And even before that…when I was a cadet, I did have one friend. But he didn't get into the top ten, so he joined the Garrison."

"Where is he now?" Taryn asked curiously. "Still with the Garrison?"

"Dead."

Taryn shut her eyes tightly and wished that the skies would just start raining fire and kill her on the spot. "I am so sorry, Boris," she said again, trying best as she could to apologize for her tactlessness.

He shrugged once more. "It's fine. The female titan killed him. I only heard about it a few months ago."

Taryn wasn't sure what to say. She had lost a lot of people as well, but she never had a lack of friends. She smiled as she thought of her little brother, Armin, Mikasa, Hanji…the Commander… Taryn frowned for a moment. Was the Commander her friend? She sighed. Well if she was going to admit her feelings to him, she'd better start considering him to be one.

"Well," she began, her eyes flitting to Boris. His silver hair glowed softly in the starlight. "I'm honored to be your friend," she declared. "And I hope we stay friends for a long time."

A rare, genuine smile lit up Boris' face. It made Taryn happy to see. Genuine smiles were so rare to see on anyone's faces these days. She treasured this moment.

"I hope so too," he whispered back.

The two rode happily in silence for a little while, basking in the warm feelings of their conversation.

"Oi, Taryn," Boris called after a while.

"Mmm?"

He nodded his head, directing her gaze to a spot ahead of them. "Those are the military barracks, right?"

Taryn squinted and could make out warm, yellow lights in the distance. "Yeah! Looks like it!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Want to race the rest of the way?" he asked, flashing her a sly smirk.

Taryn grinned. "Of course. I guess we'll just settle who's better now, then?"

Boris nodded. "Okay, I'm going to count to three, and then you can start sprinting."

Taryn nodded in confirmation.

"Okay," he began. "One…Two…-"

Suddenly, Boris shook his horse's reigns, forcing it to begin sprinting. "THREE!"

Taryn's jaw dropped open. "BORIS, YOU CHEATER!" she shouted before chasing after him.

His laughter echoed back to her, and soon Taryn found herself laughing as well as they raced to the barracks.

* * *

By the time they reached the barrack's gates, both were panting as heavily as their horses. Taryn felt slightly light-headed and dizzy from laughing so much.

"Stop! Who goes there?" shouted one of the two guards standing by the gate. Both Taryn and Boris dismounted from their horses before walking forward.

"Boris Feulner and Taryn Yeager from the Survey Corps. We're here to see Commander Erwin," Boris said, speaking up for Taryn who still looked slightly dazed from the race.

The guard squinted at them suspiciously before sighing. "Alright. Go in, then," he grunted, opening the gate slightly.

"Thank you, sir" Taryn said, nodding her head gratefully.

Once they were inside the gate, both soldiers looked around. "Now where do we go?" Boris asked the small girl. Taryn shrugged.

"No clue. Let's ask someone," she said. They walked around for a bit before Taryn caught sight of a familiar face in one of the hallways within the building. Wooden doors lined the walls, reminding Taryn of the Survey Corps headquarters. These were probably bedrooms for all the soldiers who were posted here.

"Anka!" she called, waving her hand to attract the woman's attention. Commander Pixis' right hand subordinate heard her name being called and looked around in confusion. Once she had spotted the pair, she walked over. Right before reaching them, she finally seemed to recognize Taryn.

"Oh! Ms. Yeager?" she said, wrinkling her nose in confusion. "I thought you were supposed to come with Squad Leader Hanji and Captain Levi tomorrow."

"Change of plans?" Taryn offered. Anka nodded slowly, obviously not buying it, but letting it go anyways.

"Well, what can I do for you two?" she asked, flashing a quick smile towards Boris. Boris blushed before turning his gaze to the ground. Taryn suppressed a smile at her new friend's reaction. She couldn't blame him. Anka was very beautiful.

"Can we see Commander Erwin?" Taryn asked excitedly.

Her excitement was immediately crushed when she saw a look of pity on Anka's face. It was that look of pity that she had been getting from everyone all day.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Yeager, but Commander Erwin is sleeping," she said softly.

"Sleeping?" Taryn asked numbly.

Anka nodded. "He's hard a hard few days and he needs his rest before we all leave tomorrow morning to go on the rescue mission for your brother and Historia. You can see him tomorrow morning though," she suggested gently.

"Tomorrow…morning?" Taryn's eyes finally filled with tears, not caring about how pathetic she must look. The events of the past few days had finally weighed down on her, and those tears she couldn't shed when Erwin had left her had finally decided to make an appearance. She was exhausted and extremely sad.

Boris placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulders, catching Anka's eye pleadingly. She seemed to understand his unspoken request.

"I'm sorry- but I really can't disturb the Commander right now. Don't worry Ms. Yeager- you really can see him tomorrow," she whispered apologetically.

"But it'll be too late tomorrow!" Taryn exclaimed tearfully.

Taryn knew that she sounded like a whiny child. The Commander would be exhausted and it would be cruel to deprive him of any rest. But she was so close.

She wanted to see him so badly.

* * *

Erwin blinked blearily as a sharp voice made him sit up with a start. He had changed into clean clothes after taking a much-needed bath. After cleaning up all the dirt and grime off of his bodies, he could see a few bruises flowering over his torso. The swelling on his eye had almost gone completely, but the skin around it was still slightly red.

It had taken him a few hours to fall asleep since his mind had been abuzz with too many things, even though his body was exhausted. But finally, he had begun to drift off, when suddenly he was startled awake. Someone was talking really loudly outside in the hallway.

Erwin sighed. He got up to walk to the door and tell the offending soldier off when the voice made him stop in his tracks, right behind the closed door. The cold, metal doorknob burned in his grasp, but he ignored it.

It couldn't be.

"I have been running around all day, chasing after him, Anka! I missed him at the exoneration…and then…and then, I missed his carriage by minutes…and now, I missed him again? I just want to see him- even if it's only for a few minutes! I have to…I need to- I need to tell him something…"

"Tomorrow-" a male voice began, only to be cut off by the first voice again.

"Boris, tomorrow won't work!" the voice cried obstinately. "By the time I see him tomorrow- it'll already be time to leave…and I'll never get the chance to speak to him about…to tell him that I…that I…"

Erwin's eyes widened as he registered the voice. Voices filled with pain, unshed tears and punctuated by small sobs and hiccups.

Her words hit him at full force.

She had been running after him all day? What did she want to tell him?

With burning curiosity and desperation to see the owner of that voice, he twisted the doorknob and slowly opened the door.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Ms. Yeager," Anka said for the fifth time.

Boris put his arm around Taryn's shoulders and pulled her against him.

"Ms. Anka, do you guys have any food? We haven't eaten all day, and I think we could do with a meal," he asked quietly. Anka nodded, grateful for the cool head the boy managed to keep.

"Let me lead you to the kitchen," she offered, turning around to walk back down the hallway.

"Let's go, Taryn. We'll see him tomorrow, okay?" he said softly. A strange noise came from the small girl- a strangled mix between a sob and a laugh.

"Yeah…sure. I guess this just shows that we weren't meant to be together," she whispered sadly.

"Don't say that," he grumbled, rubbing her shoulder. "It was just bad luck."

Taryn shook her head, but allowed him to guide her down the hallway after Anka. She was so lost in thought, she almost missed the sharp creak of one of the wooden doors opening behind them.

A single word floated out of the open door making her freeze in her tracks. A word that was spoken with the soft yet stern voice she had grown to love and sought refuge in. That one word was filled with so many emotions- confusion, relief, frustration, happiness and…and something else.

"Taryn?"

* * *

 **End A/N** :

CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT? Just kidding. Or not. Who knows. I sure don't. *waggles eyebrows suggestively*

As a reminder, both Boris and Dennis are actual canon characters from the series. Just in case you forgot. No, they are not OCs. I really love using characters that kind of disappear into the background or only appear for a short while in the actual series. There's so much you can do with them!

Not going to lie, those two lines from the "king" were taken from someone who actually commented that on the online manga by the screen name of **Fyrop** , so credit goes to him for that. I actually cried with laughter when I read his comments after reading the manga chapter.

Before I get messages/reviews asking about Boris and Taryn- no. There is no romantic relationship between the two, nor will there be a love triangle or anything. Their relationship is purely friendly. The only reason they seem really close is because, when you're in a tough situation in life and you're stuck with one other person during that time, you tend to cling onto them. That's what's happening here, for the both of them. I have a friend just like that- we've been figuratively glued at the hips for almost a decade now. Just pure friends though (even though everyone assumes we're dating. Which we aren't and we never will. Trust me, when you've seen each other go through the worst parts of puberty, it's enough to keep things just as friends.)


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story. I also don't own any of the songs or song lyrics used.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** So, **major spoilers in this chapter**. I wanted to stay away from the main plot line of the canon story, but as hard as I tried, I couldn't write this chapter without talking about it a little ;_; I tried to not go too in detail, so I apologize if some parts sound choppy… Please read at your own discretion- I did warn you.

Enjoy Erwin x Taryn fluff followed by lots of action!

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Fifteen: I Love You

 _"_ _What is this, a painful twist, is this a bitter kiss?  
_ _There's so much life left in his eyes, it should not end like this.  
_ _My dreams were slain, my face was stained with memories of my pain,  
_ _But peace still came, I'll give him the same, and I will be okay_."

 _(Sally's Song + Corpse Bride Medley- Trickywi)_

* * *

It had only been two days.

Just two days.

But it had felt like an entire lifetime. An entire lifetime since she had last seen those tired, but piercing blue eyes or that impeccably golden hair that was currently disheveled, falling loosely about his face.

"Taryn?

The girl felt like she was frozen in time as his voice wrapped around her- a soft whisper tinged with uncertainty.

"He's…awake?" Boris asked Anka in confusion. She shrugged, just as perplexed as he was.

"We should leave them alone," she whispered. Boris looked at the two frozen figures before nodding and following Anka to the kitchens, leaving the pair in their own world.

Taryn didn't hear either of them, her eyes glued to the man standing in front of her. She blinked a few times to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating or dreaming.

Erwin did the same, before calling her name again, this time a bit louder.

"Taryn…"

Her eyes began to water, and before she could stop it, a tear slipped down her cheek. She wanted to run to him so badly and cling to him like he was her lifeline…but at the same time, the anger that had dissipated earlier came back with a vengeance.

"You left me," she whispered weakly.

Erwin's eyes dulled.

"I know. And I'm sorry for that," he replied quietly.

But Taryn wasn't finished. Her hands balled into fists. "You could have died- and you left me without even saying goodbye!"

Another tear fell from her eye, but this one was from anger instead of sadness.

Erwin felt his throat thicken with emotion.

"And I regret it immensely."

"You broke your promise to me!" she finished, finally breaking down and sobbing freely.

It barely registered in the back of his mind that he had made that promise to her when she was supposed to be asleep, but apparently she had heard it.

There was nothing left for him to say…no other way for him to apologize.

So he held his one arm out in an open gesture, inviting her in. Hoping that she would accept him, but understanding fully if she chose to reject him and hate him.

He hated himself at the moment. He had left her again and again, but she had always stuck by his side, never wavering in the faith she placed in him. Erwin was afraid that he had finally gone too far. She had lost too many loved ones…she probably wouldn't want to spare her feelings for another person.

But he was so wrong.

The minute she saw his arm open, she sprinted forward at full speed, throwing herself straight at him. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she pressed her face against his chest. Erwin stumbled back at bit at the force of her attack, but he steadied himself in surprise.

For a second, he didn't know what to do. The girl was clinging to him with a steel grip. But then it hit him with full force. She was here.

 _She was here_ _with him_.

His arm wrapped around her, pulling her even closer against him. He finally leaned down, burying his face in her curly hair, deeply breathing her in while trying to forget all the nightmares of the last two days. They both sank to the floor onto their knees, unwilling to let go of each other.

That numbness that had settled over him in the last forty-eight hours disappeared the moment she touched him. The warmth that was condensed in her small figure transferred to him. It was like he had been under water so far- everything had been muffled, gray, and unclear.

But with _her_ arrival came life, sound, colour and clarity.

She cried into his clothed chest, her shoulders shaking with each sob. He whispered an unending line of apologies into her ear while his hand rubbed circles onto her back.

Finally, after a while, her sobs subsided, leaving her with the occasional hiccup and sniffle. She pulled back slightly in his embrace to face him. Once again he was confronted with the heart-breaking image of teary eyes, wet lashes, and a red nose.

"Did I mention how sorry I am?" he whispered, pushing her bangs out from her eyes.

She nodded, rubbing her stuffy nose. Tired and emotionally exhausted, Taryn sighed and leaned forward, resting her forehead against his and closing her eyes lightly.

"I heard you say you had something to tell me?"

At his question, her eyes shot open again. She hesitated. It didn't seem like the right moment to tell him about her feelings…but at the same time, she never knew when the right moment would be. What if neither of them survived Eren's rescue mission tomorrow? What if one of them suddenly died in their sleep at night?

Disturbed by the sudden barrage of morbid thoughts, Taryn unconsciously wrinkled her brow. A soft smile graced Erwin's mouth when he caught sight of that.

"That bad?"

Taryn blushed slightly.

Erwin could sense her reluctance.

"Tell me," he prompted her gently.

She sighed and softly brushed her nose against his. Erwin's eyes widened at this sign of affection, but he made no move to stop her.

"I-I…" she started.

He nodded encouragingly. She took a deep breath before meeting his gaze.

"I wanted to tell you that…that I love you," she said so quietly that he almost missed it.

But no, Erwin did hear what she said.

It took a moment to register for a moment. Erwin actually thought that he had misheard her, at first. But as her face began to turn pink, he realized that he had heard correctly.

She…she loved him?

He was silent, his mind trying to make sense of her feelings.

Taryn immediately assumed that his silence was one of offense…or even disgust. Reddening, she tried to pull herself away from him, hoping to fix any damage between them. She couldn't afford to lose him as a friend, even if she couldn't have him as a lover. What had she been thinking?!

"I-I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't mean to say that. I know I overstepped my boundaries and I apologize greatly! I won't do it again so please for-mmph!"

Erwin cut her blabbering off by pulling her back to him and pressing his lips firmly against hers.

Taryn's squeaked in shock.

But Erwin wouldn't relent. He held her even tighter as his lips worked desperately against hers, coaxing her to respond. He couldn't remember the last he had heard the words _I love you_ …let alone from someone he…someone he cared for as well. Someone he loved in return.

Finally, Taryn gave in, her eyes fluttering shut as she moved her lips with his.

Erwin sat back against the wall, pulling her onto him, his mouth never leaving hers as she straddled his lap. Her hands cupped his face as she hungrily kissed him.

After months of mixed feelings, heartbreak, and near-death experiences, the two were finally able to show each other their true feelings.

They broke apart, panting slightly as they took in each other's appearance.

"I love you too, Taryn," he said. He meant it. He really did love her. The Commander didn't want to be separated from her again. Ever. And he would try his hardest to make sure it never happened. Even if he did have to leave, he would make sure to come back to her. He wouldn't leave her again. "Forgive me?" he murmured quietly, his blue eyes begging her.

Those brown orbs widened with surprise before glowing brightly as she leaned forward to give him a chaste kiss, only breaking it to pull back and press her forehead against his once again.

"I…I forgive you," she sighed.

Erwin felt an overwhelming blanket of relief cover him.

"Really?" he asked, almost disbelievingly.

Her palm rested against his cheek, the pad of her thumb tracing softly over his lower lip. He leaned into her touch, enjoying the warm caresses. She nodded and leaned forward, her lips gently brushing his earlobe.

Those soft lips moved across his cheek, gliding to the corner of his mouth. He shivered as electricity shot through him at her touch. The words she whispered against his lips would stick with him for the rest of his life.

"I forgive you because you're not perfect. You're imperfect… and so am I."

* * *

The two soldiers had moved back into the Commander's temporary bedroom, sitting together on the small bed, just as they had so many times before. It was the same, yet so much more different.

Taryn was snuggled up under the Commander's arm, her head resting on his chest. She quietly listened to the slow, steady song of his heart, glad that it was still beating. He was running his fingers through the ends of her hair, pleased that he could finally do this without restraint.

"So you really chased after me all day?" he asked with a mix of concern and pleasure.

She nodded, her fingers tracing small patterns on his stomach.

"I have the worst timing though," she sighed. "I kept missing you by minutes…"

He chuckled lowly. "But I see you had a friend to keep you company? I thought that boy was part of the Military Police?"

"Boris was Military Police. But…I asked him to join the Survey Corps," she said, sitting up to see his reaction.

Erwin cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "I wasn't aware that you had the authority to recruit new members, Ms. Yeager."

Taryn blushed. "I know I don't have the authority…but he just seems so much better suited to fight alongside us!" she retorted.

Erwin just chuckled and leaned forward to press a kiss against her brow. She closed her eyes under his touch and sighed contentedly.

"I'm sure he'll make a fine soldier for the Survey Corps," he breathed against her skin.

"I know he will," she declared, pulling away from him.

Erwin watched as she raised her hand to cup his jaw. The minute they had confessed their feelings for one another, neither could get enough of touching the other. Taryn loved to run her fingers across his face- an action that was so simple but sent a shock of thrill each time he let her. Erwin enjoyed her gentle touches as well.

Her finger trailed up his jawline to the corner of his bruised eye. She frowned.

"They beat you up so badly."

Erwin felt a pang at how sad she looked. He held her hand to his face with his own large palm.

"I've been through much worse," he replied honestly. She huffed in disapproval and laid her back down on his chest, tucking her head beneath his chin. Their hands remained linked.

"Are you still angry with me?" he asked softly. He wouldn't blame her for it- her anger would be quite justified.

But Taryn shook her head. "I want to be. I know I _should_ be. But…you're alive and undamaged…for the most part. So, I don't see the point in wasting time being angry when I can enjoy a few moments of happiness with you…"

After that little spiel, she blushed, glad that he couldn't see her face at the moment. "Goodness, that was extremely clichéd."

"Perhaps." He rested his lips on the crown of her head. "But it makes me very happy."

They lay there in comfortable silence, just enjoying the stolen moment they could have to themselves.

"I have a question," she said after a while.

"Hmm?" Erwin was playing with her hand, marveling at how small it was compared his own.

Taryn had originally wanted to ask him why he loved her after so many years of rejecting his feelings when something else came to mind.

"Do you know Marie Dawk?"

He paused his actions, his hand resting limply against hers. There was more silence while Taryn waited for him to respond.

"I do," he responded simply.

Taryn frowned at his abrupt answer. "How?"

He shifted uncomfortably before answering her question with one of his own.

"How do you know of her?"

Taryn sat up once again to peer at him curiously.

"I ran into her while looking for you. She tried to help me find you."

He raised an eyebrow, not expecting that. Then he sighed, understanding that it was better to tell the truth instead of avoiding it.

"She was my…betrothed and lover…fifteen years ago," he murmured, his blue eyes searching her brown ones for a reaction.

Taryn looked at him in surprise, but then a look of understanding overcame her features.

"That makes sense," she muttered to herself.

"What does?"

She gave him a small smile. "When I mentioned your name…she looked…nostalgic, I think?" Taryn wasn't entirely sure how to explain it. "Can I ask why it didn't work out?"

Erwin nodded. He was slightly surprised (but also glad) to see that she wasn't too perturbed or…heaven forbid… _jealous_ of his previous relationship.

"I chose to defend humanity over marrying her."

Taryn stared at him, her mouth slightly ajar.

"But…couldn't you do both?" she asked, confused.

He shook his head. "Once I placed on myself the responsibility to humanity's safety, I gave up all thoughts of love, marriage, having a family…things like that."

Taryn deflated.

"But…then what are you…what are _we_ doing now?" she motioned between both of them. Taryn was starting to panic internally. Had she been mistaken? Was this a one-time thing? Was the Commander truly incapable of nursing feelings for another person for a long stretch of time?

Erwin exhaled deeply before offering her a solemn smile.

"You didn't really leave me a choice," he chuckled.

"What, how?" she asked, perplexed. It wasn't like she had forced him to love her with the threat of death if he didn't.

"I have been an extremely selfish man my entire life, Taryn," he began carefully. "I cared more about doing things for my own benefit than for others; it just so happened to also benefit humanity. Some see me as selfless…but really I didn't want to give up anything for anyone, which is why I left Marie."

He paused and took a deep breath before continuing.

"But, then you came along and…and I realized that, for the first time…I-I was fully ready to give my life up for someone else."

Erwin could have launched into a long-winded explanation of the full effect that she had on him-the warmth that yanked him out from his doldrums of numbness…the fact that she forced him to feel something whenever she got herself caught in a dangerous situation…the colour she brought to his life whenever she blushed or hugged him…

But Erwin was a man of few words and he was still struggling with accepting these feelings, let along expressing them. He would tell her in time.

"I already gave up an arm…I'm quite willing to lose a few more limbs if it means keeping you safe," he joked lightly.

Taryn blinked in surprise at the gravity of his statement before coming to a realization of her own.

"I would do the same for you," she mumbled finally.

Erwin snorted. "I'm quite aware. You put yourself into so many dangerous situations by staying by my side…you're the most persistent person I've ever known."

Taryn rolled her eyes. "Have you met my bull-headed brother?"

Erwin laughed and tugged her against him, pulling her onto his lap and winding his arm around her waist.

"I believe he gets that from you," he grinned.

"I think we both got that from our parents," she countered. But at the mention of her dead mom and absent dad, her smile disappeared.

Erwin noticed her mood change. "You miss them a lot." It wasn't a question. It was an observation. She nodded.

"I never told you, did I?" she said quietly.

"Never told me what?" he asked.

Taryn closed her eyes, her a grimace taking over her features.

"My mom was eaten by a titan years ago. But Eren and I never knew what happened to our dad."

Erwin remained silent. He hadn't known about this, but he got the feeling that neither of the Yeager siblings had told anyone. It sounded like she hadn't spoken about this in years.

"He was going to Wall Maria to treat a patient on that…that _day_. He always took me along with him to help out…but for some reason, he told me to stay behind. I-I don't know why he wouldn't take me with him," she said, hurt colouring her voice.

It pained him to hear her sound to sad, but he let her continue, opting to rub gentle circles against her hip instead of voicing his concerns.

"So, he left that day. And he didn't come back. Eren and I couldn't find him after that," she whispered, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Your parents were good people. I'm sorry that you had to lose them," he murmured against her neck. Taryn turned to nuzzle her face against his.

"We'll rescue Eren right?" she asked pleadingly.

There was so much hope in her voice and in those large eyes that Erwin didn't want to tell her anything but a positive answer.

"We'll try our hardest, Taryn. You know we will," he said finally.

* * *

Morning came too quickly for the Commander. After talking for a bit longer, Erwin had urged Taryn to get some rest before their mission. Exhausted yet pleased to finally be in the safe grasp of her Commander (yes, _her_ Commander, she thought with pleasure), she listened to him, falling fast asleep in the crook of his arm.

The Commander himself had slept for a few hours before waking up. The sun hadn't even risen, but he could hear soldiers running around outside, preparing the horses, polishing up the 3DMG, and trying to settle their nerves for the incoming operation.

He sighed in content at the pleasant weight pressed against him. He never wanted to move from this position- cocooned in the warmth of the girl and the bed sheets…tucked away in a safe pocket that existed outside of reality. But alas, all good things must come to an end eventually.

Erwin turned to watch the girl sleeping against him, a soft grin on his lips. She moved around _a lot_ in her sleep. She had somehow maneuvered her head onto his chest, one of her arms tightly wrapped around him. He was entertained by the fact that she had even thrown one of her legs over his own sometime in the middle of the night. Her lips were slightly parted as little puffs of air escaped them every time she breathed. Black, unruly curls had once again found themselves caught in her mouth, much to his amusement. He gently pushed the rebellious strands back so that she wouldn't wake up choking on them.

He had never imagined, in the span of fifteen years…no, in the span of his lifetime…that someone could mean so much to him. It had been so long since he had last felt the addicting heat of human intimacy, let alone from someone he loved. As much as the thought pleased him, it also made the Commander frown.

Because with love came pain. And pain was a weakness.

Erwin couldn't afford to have or show any weakness, but one had apparently latched itself, or _herself_ , onto him.

If someone found out and made an attempt to exploit this weakness, it would be the end for both him and Taryn. With a disgruntled sigh, the Commander decided he would deal with this problem when he got there. For now, he had a job to do.

He leaned over to place a soft kiss against her forehead, a thrill of pleasure running through him at the fact that he could finally do an action as simple as that. She moved slightly in her sleep, a small smile appearing on her lips.

The Commander reluctantly got out of bed, preparing himself for the mission ahead.

* * *

 _A thirteen-year old Taryn tagged behind her father as they walked up to a large, spectacular mansion of a home in Wall Sina. She tugged at the hem of the blue pastel dress her mother had forced her into with irritation before adjusting the brown cloak fastened around her shoulders._

 _"_ _Taryn, if you destroy that dress, you won't hear the end of it from your mother," Grisha Yeager warned as he spotted his daughter fidgeting with her clothes. "And neither will I…" he grumbled in a lower voice._

 _"_ _But I don't like wearing dresses, dad…" she whined. "Why can't I wear the pants and shirt I normally wear?"_

 _Grisha sighed. "Because you are becoming a young lady and should dress as such."_

 _Or so his wife said._

 _Grisha quite honestly didn't want his baby girl to grow up yet and he had refused to acknowledge it…at least until his wife had pointed out the fact that Taryn wasn't a child anymore._

 _He had dismissively waved his wife's observations off. But ever since then, whenever he was home, he kept an eye on Taryn and came to the depressing realization that…she_ was _becoming a young woman. The boys that she used to roughhouse and fight with alongside Eren had started to take notice of the swell of her hips and the budding breasts that lay beneath the plain clothes she wore, much to Grisha's disdain._

 _"_ _Fine," she relented with a pout._

 _Grisha gave her a small smile and paused to take her hand in his. He was glad that she didn't mind holding his hand in public, unlike Eren who, even at the age of eight, scorned all public displays of affection with anyone._

 _He raised her hand to his lips, giving it a small kiss. She looked up at him with those large brown eyes before offering him her brightest smile._

 _She really was her daddy's little girl._

 _"_ _Taryn…"_

 _"_ _Yeah, dad?"_

 _"_ _Wake up, Taryn…"_

 _Taryn looked at her dad in confusion._

 _"_ _Time to get up…"_

Taryn felt something soft and warm brush against her lips a few times before it moved to her nose. She moaned softly, enjoying the gentle attention she was receiving. It was so comforting and nice.

The soft feeling moved up her jawline until warm breath brushed against her earlobe.

"Taryn…"

She blinked groggily at the sound of the low, rumbling voice that was pulling her away from her dream. A sight of gold and blue hovered over her vision. She blinked a few more times and saw a familiar face.

"Erwin?" she murmured questioningly.

"That is my name," he responded wryly.

A drowsy smile flitted onto her lips. Erwin felt his heart stutter at the sweet sight of the girl slowly waking up. He couldn't believe the strong effect she was having on him.

"So last night wasn't a dream?" she asked sleepily, placing her hand over the long fingers that were playing with the ends of her hair.

"It felt like one, didn't it?" he murmured. She nodded, the memory of her father quickly melting away as the image of the Commander replaced it.

A sudden thought occurred to her making her shoot up in the bed, startling Erwin and nearly bumping her head into his own.

"Eren-!" she gasped. Erwin sighed and stood up straight. The last peaceful moments of morning were long gone.

"Everything's almost set to go. Hanji just arrived an hour back. We've been going over the layout of the cave where Eren is being held and planning how to get in. Captain Levi and his squad are further up ahead and will meet us at the cave later on."

Taryn suddenly noticed that the Commander was fully dressed in his pristine white shirt and pants, his jacket fit snugly around his torso. The straps around his body were ready to secure his 3DMG at a moment's notice.

"How long have you been awake for?" she asked in confusion.

"A few hours."

Taryn immediately jumped out of bed and looked around for her jacket and cloak.

"Why didn't you wake me earlier?" She hopped around the room on one foot as she attempted to pull a boot on.

Erwin sighed and leaned against the wall, watching her stumble around with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"You looked so peaceful sleeping. I couldn't disturb you…"

"I think in the case of rescuing my brother, disturbing me isn't that big of a, oomph-!"

Taryn huffed as she tripped straight into Erwin's solid form. He grabbed her shoulders, steadying her on her feet before looking her seriously in the eye.

"Taryn, you might be coming with us to the cave, but under no circumstances are you going to _enter_ the cave to get Eren out of there," he said before turning to leave the room.

"What! Why?" she exclaimed angrily as she followed closely behind him, tying up the fastenings of her cloak securely around her neck.

Erwin didn't answer her as they made their way down to the barrack's courtyard.

"Erwin!" she demanded.

He stopped them just at the threshold of the barrack's gates, grabbing onto her arm and pulling her close to him.

"Hanji will explain who has Eren on the way there," he said. Taryn's eyes widened with curiosity and fire. She wanted to know who had her brother.

"Okay," she said softly. "But that doesn't explain why I can't help you rescue him."

Erwin squeezed her hand tightly, getting steadily more and more frustrated.

"They don't just want him, Taryn! They need you as well. By going in there, you'd be risking your life, and that can't-"

"Of course I'd be risking my life! He's my brother, and I would do anything for him!" she cried.

"But _I_ can't risk losing you, again!" he roared, his eyes blazing and causing Taryn jerk back out of his grasp and stare at him in astonishment.

Erwin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

He knew he was on edge, especially with this extremely newfound relationship. He had had two relationships before Marie, but they hadn't been too serious. His betrothal to Marie had been the most serious relationship he had ever been in, yet he hadn't given it a second thought when leaving behind almost eight years of courting her. But now, even though he had known this girl for barely a year, he had never been more terrified at the thought of losing someone than he did her. This one was so real. She evoked feelings he hadn't thought possible before.

How could he possibly let her know how much she meant to him? Erwin immediately regretted snapping at her.

The Commander reached out to stroke her cheek.

"Taryn, I-"

Suddenly, the gate doors slammed open, letting in a very enthusiastic soldier. Erwin immediately withdrew his hand.

"Erwin, where in the world are you-oh! Taryn! You're awake! Fantastic! Ah and you look ready to go! Boris is waiting out front with your horses," Hanji chattered happily, oblivious to the tense atmosphere between Commander and subordinate.

Taryn offered the scientist a grim smile before turning to walk out the door. As she stepped outside, she looked over her shoulder and gave the Commander a longing look that he returned.

As the Commander watched her walk over to her silver-haired friend, he wondered despairingly how he managed to mess up the things he got his hands…correction: _hand_ …on. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He would definitely apologize before they left.

"Everything looks good to go, Erwin," Hanji said, glancing around the courtyard.

"Hmmm," he replied noncommittally.

Hanji caught the slightly stressed tone in his voice and turn to peer up at him. "Um, so…Taryn Yeager stayed the night here, I see…" she began innocently.

"Indeed she did," Erwin grunted as he grabbed his 3DMG and began to put it on.

"Right…right…" Hanji paused. "Anything…happen?" she asked, popping her lips.

Erwin cocked an eyebrow. He never shared his feelings or personal events.

Ever.

But Hanji had helped him navigate his feelings in a way…so he did feel it was only fair to tell his friend about Taryn.

"We…kissed," he mumbled, feeling slightly like a love-struck teenager, as he finished attaching his gear.

He was quite surprised at the silence that followed his confession, only to look up and see Hanji biting her lip to keep from squealing. She was bouncing up and down on the heels of her feet though.

"And..?" she prompted him.

He sighed. "…she told me she loved me…" he cast another glance out at the courtyard. Taryn was currently laughing at something Boris had told her as she fixed the saddle on her horse. He found himself subconsciously smiling as he watched her laugh. "And I told her I loved her too."

Suddenly, he felt himself seized into a chokehold as a very enthusiastic scientist cackled at the top of her lungs.

"Finally!" she exclaimed. "Oh my goodness…it took you two long enough!"

"Too long…" he admitted. He then gently disentangled himself from his friend's grip. "But Hanji," he began, his tone serious. "Please don't tell anyone about this, yet. It's not…safe."

Hanji's eyes widened in understanding.

"Of course, Erwin. I'll keep it to myself," she promised.

"Thank you."

* * *

"So, I see you got to tell your Commander what you wanted to, huh?"

Taryn blushed and nudged Boris in the side. "No Boris…I ran all the way here just to drink whisky with him," she said sarcastically.

Boris rolled his golden eyes. "What'd I tell you before? Sarcasm doesn't suit you, titan-girl," he drawled, flicking her on the nose.

Taryn scrunched her nose in response and smacked his hand away. She chuckled though until she caught sight of the cloak he was wearing, her eyes widening with pleasure.

"Well, sarcasm may not suit me, but green sure suits you well! Officially part of the Survey Corps now?"

Boris flushed slightly at the compliment, adjusting the new cloak adorned with the Wings of Freedom self-consciously. He cleared his throat.

"They, uh, had a few spares…down in the basement. Anka gave it to me."

Taryn smirked mischievously. "Anka, huh?"

"Oh go punch a titan, little girl," he muttered, turning back to his horse.

Taryn laughed soundly at his reaction. "Been there, done that, Feulner. But I know I'll do more. And I'm sure I'll take down more than you!"

Boris sneered. "In your dreams, Yeager. There's a reason I got into the Military Police, and it wasn't just for my good looks."

She snorted in amusement. "I don't know who's been telling you that lie, Boris, but I'd recommend looking in a mirror sometime soon."

"You can be quite cruel, you know that?" the silver-haired soldier sniffed, pretending to be hurt.

Just as Taryn was about to shoot back a clever quip, Boris' grimace turned into a real frown as he looked over her shoulder at an approaching figure.

"Miss Yeager?"

Taryn flinched, recognizing the voice immediately. She took a deep breath before turning around to see the Commander standing behind her. It was unnerving to see him transform from the gentle, loving man who woke her up with kisses in the morning to the imposing, icy-eyed soldier he was now.

"Yes, sir?" she replied quietly.

"Can I speak to you privately for a moment?"

Taryn hesitated. Was he going to get angry with her again?

"Go ahead, Taryn. I'll finish strapping your horse up for you," Boris offered. Taryn nodded gratefully at her friend, but internally winced. She had no choice now.

"Of course, sir," she said before following the Commander into a small passageway off the side of the barracks. It was quite dark with shadows looming over the entrance as all the torches had been extinguished due to the break of dawn.

Once safely sequestered within the shadows, Erwin swiftly wrapped his arm around Taryn's waist and tugged her against him, burying his face against the crown of her head.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," he said gruffly.

Taryn melted into his grasp and sighed in relief.

"I-I know," she murmured, pulling back slightly to look up at him. His eyes had softened as she raised her hand to cup his jaw. He turned to press a kiss to the inside of her palm.

"I'll try my hardest to stay out of harm's way, but you have to understand that I need to be there to get Eren."

Erwin grunted roughly, disapproval coursing through him. "I know you want to be there, Taryn. But I can't let anything happen to you. Not after I finally got you back."

Taryn felt her heart beat slightly faster at his declaration. Did he really care that much about her?

Before he could say anything else, she quickly stood on her toes and raised her face up to his, capturing his mouth in a searing kiss that practically took his breath away. His grip tightened around her waist as he supported her.

"Commander Erwin! We're ready to leave, sir! Commander?"

The two broke apart as the soldiers began to call for Erwin in the courtyard, unable to find him. He growled at the interruption and Taryn chuckled slightly.

"I think you're needed, sir," she said playfully.

He sighed before leaning down rest his forehead against hers. "You'll be riding with Hanji separately from my squad, okay? Listen to her commands, and don't do anything dangerous, please?"

Taryn nodded. "I'll do my best."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"I've assigned Cadet Feulner to stick to your tail in case you get any funny ideas."

Taryn sighed. "Yes, I got it. No funny business."

Erwin glanced at her, slight anxiety clear in his eyes. After spending the last few hours with her, he didn't want to be separated from her again. But he had a job to do and she'd be more useful to Hanji.

"I love you, Taryn," he breathed, the words still feeling so foreign on his tongue, yet so…right at the same time.

She pecked him on the lips.

"I love you too."

* * *

The sound of horse hooves galloping across the ground sounded akin to an oncoming thunderstorm, shaking the land with the ferocity of its arrival.

Hanji led a formation of soldiers to the cave, with Taryn and Boris on either side of her.

"Hanji!"

"Yes?" Hanji sang.

"The Commander said that you'd explain who has Eren and why!" Taryn shouted over the sound of whinnying horses.

Boris curiously perked up to hear Hanji's answer.

"Right!" Hanji got straight to the point without preamble. "So, don't get mad, but the person who's responsible for kidnapping Eren is Historia's father- Rod Reiss!"

Taryn spluttered indignantly.

"She told you not to get mad, Taryn!" Boris shouted jokingly.

"How can I not! What does Rod Reiss want with Eren?"

"Historia is of the royal bloodline- the true heir to the throne! Rod Reiss believes that Historia needs to inherit the ultimate titan power in order to rule over everything!"

"The ultimate power?" Boris exclaimed in confusion.

"By inherit, do you mean by eating?" Taryn asked with horror.

Hanji nodded and answered Boris' question. "The ability to be a strong titan-shifter and to be able to communicate and control the other titans!"

Taryn's eyes widened as she noticed a loophole in the answer.

"But, Hanji! Eren can't control the titans! I have that power!" she cried.

"I know! Once Reiss figures that out, he's going to try and track you down too!"

Taryn's mind was racing with this new information… This man was going to have Historia eat Eren…and then herself as well? Another thought else occurred to her. Was _this_ why Erwin was being so protective of her?

"Hanji, we need to hurry!" Taryn cried.

"What do you think we're doing?" Boris yelled.

But Taryn's knuckles turned white as she clutched the reigns of her horse tightly. Why was this happening to her and Eren?

* * *

They finally reached the site of the cave. During the ride over, Taryn had felt a dull throbbing in her head. She passed it off as a reaction to the harsh motion of bouncing up and down on the horse during the ride. As they trotted closer to the cave, to Taryn's pleasure, she spotted a familiar bob of blonde hair.

"Armin!" she exclaimed happily, immediately forgetting about the slight pain in her head and dismounting her horse to sprint towards the boy. He turned and grinned, happy to see her again. As they hugged, Taryn noticed that the boy was slightly taller than before.

"I see you made it to the Commander?" he asked with a quiet smile. She rolled her eyes.

"All because of you," she admitted. "Where's Mikasa?"

Armin's smile faded as he turned his blue eyes to a lone figure, standing before the entrance of the cave. Taryn felt her heart break at the sight of Mikasa's drooping figure. She looked so lost without Eren.

"How is she?" she asked.

Armin shook his head. "She knew he was putting himself in danger for the earlier plan, but it's still hit her quite hard. Especially after Hanji told us about Historia's dad and his plan to have Historia eat Eren."

Taryn nodded sadly.

"Oh, hello, Boris," Armin said pleasantly, looking up to see the silver-haired boy walking over with two horses- his own and Taryn's.

"Hello," Boris replied, nodding slightly before his eyes shifted towards Taryn. "You know, you can't just abandon your horse, little girl…"

Taryn blushed. "I'm sorry- I forgot…Thanks for getting him for me though," she said apologetically. Boris offered her a small smirk before handing her the horses' reigns.

"So, you all ready to go in and rescue my brother?" Taryn asked Armin with forced cheerfulness.

Armin quirked a slim, golden eyebrow. "You're not coming with us?" he asked in confusion.

He thought that Taryn would be the last person to not run in with swords blazing, ready to kill anyone who touched her brother…or at least would attempt to.

"I can't…" she sighed.

"Why?"

"Commander Eyebrows won't let her," Boris sneered. Taryn rolled her eyes before rubbing her head. It had started hurting more and she was feeling a bit woozy.

"Won't _let you_?"

"Please don't make this harder for me than it already is," she said through gritted teeth.

Armin sighed and nodded.

Taryn blinked a few times as the headache got worse. _Why all of a sudden?_

"Taryn? TARYN?" she heard the voices of Boris and Armin mix together…but they sounded muffled and far away. Everything seemed blurry as she swayed on the spot. At this point her head was hurting so badly, she felt like someone had taken a hammer to it.

She thought she was going to fade to blackness…but something else happened. Suddenly, the environment around her melted into dull, grey surroundings. The walls looked like an…amalgamation of rocks. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, while jagged stalagmites jutted up from the gravelly floor.

Taryn gasped as she looked around. Her vision was still blurry, and a bright light was blinding her. She had no idea what was going on until she heard a familiar voice.

 _"_ _I'm so sorry, dad. I'm so sorry…I didn't know…_ "

 _Eren_? She thought desperately. Another flash of pain ran through her head accompanied by a moan of pain from her brother.

"EREN! DAD!"

A sudden sharp slap to her face forced her to open her eyes. She found herself looking up at a clear blue sky until a dark shape blocked her view. Golden eyes looked over her face worriedly.

"Taryn! Taryn are you alright?" Boris' voice asked anxiously.

"Feulner! Armin! What happened to her?" came the voice of Hanji as she sprinted over to the small group.

"I don't know! She just fainted and started twitching before screaming out Eren's name," Armin explained in a rush.

Taryn moaned. "Eren- I know where Eren is," she panted. The sharp pain in her head had faded into the dull throbbing from before.

"You saw him?" Hanji asked excitedly. This would make it so much easier for them to find him! They wouldn't have to survey all of the different formations and parts of the cave now.

Taryn had actually seen everything from Eren's point of view (or at least she assumed so), but she was too drained to correct Hanji. "He was in a…a very big room. Lots of rocks…and very grey…" she took a deep breath, trying to remember everything. "There was a large platform too…and…and stairs…"

Hanji's breath hitched. "I know where that is! It's the largest opening in the diagram we have of the cave!"

Armin nodded, trying to visualize the map in his mind. "That makes sense if what you say about Historia is true. They'd need the most room for her to transform and eat Eren!" he concluded.

"Squad Leader! Captain Levi said to tell you that we're all set to go!" Jean exclaimed as he ran up to them.

"Good, Jean. Gather everyone else. We leave now."

Hanji glanced back at Taryn. "You stay here, Taryn. You know what the Commander's orders are," she said firmly. "And keep an eye on her, Feulner!"

Boris nodded and Taryn made a noise to show her acknowledgement. But really, her heart was beating faster than anything. Eren had called out for their dad. _Their dad._

Once the last of Squad Levi's soldiers had stepped foot into the cave, Taryn shot up. She felt slightly nauseous, but shook her head to clear it up.

"Taryn? What are you doing?" Boris asked suspiciously as he watched the girl try to shakily stand on her feet.

"What does it look like?" she muttered, clutching her head gingerly.

Boris folded his arms over his chest. "No. No way. No fucking way, titan girl. You… _we_ cannot go down into that cave after everyone told us _not_ to."

"I need to go, Boris!"

"But you know they'll get Eren out just fin-"

"That's not the reason!" she exclaimed. Boris' eyes widened.

"What reason, then?"

Taryn paused as she finally managed to balance herself, catching onto Boris' shoulder for support.

"My dad," she said simply.

"Your…dad?"

Taryn nodded, wincing slightly when her head throbbed in protest.

"When I…fainted…Eren called out for my dad. He was talking to my dad, Boris! My dad is still alive!" she shouted in excitement.

Boris' forehead furrowed in confusion. "But I thought both your parents died…"

"That's what I thought too. But this proves it! My dad's alive and I need to find him!"

She felt slightly guilty at what they were about to do. She now knew why Erwin didn't want her to go down to the cave…but she needed answers. And she needed to see her dad. She was his little girl after all.

Boris looked extremely reluctant. "The Commander will kill us both if I let you down there, Taryn…"

Taryn reluctantly shrugged off the guilt, the overpowering desire to see her father once again taking control of her thoughts.

"He said to keep an eye on me. He didn't say where we needed to be while you did that."

* * *

"Are you sure this leads to Eren?" Boris hissed from behind Taryn.

They were currently sneaking through narrow, damp cave corridors, trying to navigate themselves in the dim light.

"Yes! I can feel him!" Taryn confirmed. She didn't have any more visions of Eren, but she could sense him close by somehow.

"What about your dad?"

Taryn shook her head. "I can't feel him…"

Suddenly, Boris grabbed the back of Taryn's cloak, pulling her back against him.

"Wha-? What are you doing?" she said as she flailed around. Boris shushed her furiously, clamping her mouth shut with his hand.

"Can you hear that?" he whispered against her ear.

Taryn stopped struggling against him, and strained to hear what he was listening to. Faint voices floated out from the end of the corridor.

" _Historia, all you need to do is eat his spinal fluid, and then we'll create a new world together…_ "

"Mmmphhh!"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry," Boris murmured, removing his hand from Taryn's mouth. "What were you trying to say?"

"We need to hurry!"

The two sprinted down the corridor, listening to the voices get louder.

" _If you gain his powers…you gain your memories back. Memories that you want, right my dear Historia? Of your dead sister? She'll come back if you do this…"_

Historia had a dead sister? Taryn shook her head. It didn't matter. Only Eren mattered.

" _Gain these powers…become omnipotent and all powerful…become a_ god _…"_

Where was Squad Levi? Why hadn't they intervened yet?

Finally, the two burst through the opening, running straight into the cavernous opening. It looked exactly like her vision had shown it. Eren was chained up high on a rocky platform, blood dripping down his forehead. He looked utterly defeated.

Taryn glanced around, unable to spot her dad. Two more figures stood beneath Eren though.

"Historia…" she breathed. The small, blonde girl was currently holding a syringe and being patted on the back by a stout man.

Boris nudged her shoulder. "We need to get him quickly."

Taryn nodded. They needed to somehow creep past Historia and her father to get to Eren. It shouldn't be that hard. She made to walk forward and sneak up the stairs leading to Eren when Boris pulled on her cloak once again, causing her to trip backwards.

"Boris!" she hissed in frustration.

"Look!" he grunted, pointing towards Eren.

Taryn squinted and noticed a tall figure standing slightly behind Eren in the shadows.

"Oh shoot! That's the guy that attacked Armin and all earlier. Kenny Ackerman right?"

Boris nodded. "How will we get past him?"

Before either of them could come up with a solution, Kenny used a crude form of 3DMG to soar to a ledge near the ceiling of the cave.

"What? Why did he move so far away?" Boris asked in confusion.

Taryn was confused too until she noticed a flash of movement. Historia was going to jam the syringe into her arm.

The older Yeager began running towards the blonde before Boris could grab her or before she even realized what she was doing.

"HISTORIA! STOP!" she screamed.

She did.

The needle was centimeters away from breaking that perfect, porcelain skin as crystal blue eyes moved to look at her in surprise.

Taryn had never been close to Historia back when they were cadets, but she held a certain level of respect for the pretty girl. No matter how hard the training was, the young girl had always persevered. She had a heart of gold, being kind to everyone. Her presence was enough to make people smile.

So it confounded Taryn to see such a desperate, almost hateful look on the girl's perfect features.

"T-Taryn Yeager?" she rasped hoarsely.

Her father's eyes widened greedily.

"This is the other Yeager? The one with the ability to communicate with the titans?"

Historia didn't answer her father, her eyes glued to Taryn's. From up above them on the platform, Taryn heard her brother weakly cry her name.

Her heart was in her throat. One wrong move, and Historia would turn into a titan, killing them all by eating them, if the cave didn't collapse on them with the impact of the transformation first. To her surprise, she felt the strong warmth of Boris standing behind her.

"I've got your back," he whispered, keeping his eyes firmly glued to Kenny Ackerman who still stayed atop his perch, eyeing the scene below suspiciously.

"Thanks, Boris," she whispered back.

"My daughter! This is perfect! We have both of the Yeagers here! Transform now and consume them both! Then you'll be the most powerful goddess to ever exist!" Rod exclaimed hysterically.

"No! Historia, wait!" Taryn cried, raising her hands in surrender.

Those blue eyes stared hauntingly at her.

"He's tricking you, Historia! The Commander told me about your real history. Your father doesn't love you the way the rest of us do! Think about Ymir," Taryn tried desperately.

"Ymir?" The girl's grip on the syringe loosened a bit.

"Yes! Yes! Ymir! Did you know that she's been trying to chase you down for the longest time? She got me framed, thrown in jail and almost executed in the process!" Taryn laughed in a forced manner.

Historia's eyes softened.

"But that's not to say that she's bad or anything…She just wants you back, Historia…" Taryn murmured. "She loves you. She'd do anything for you."

"Don't listen to her lies, Historia. I love you! I'm your dad- I truly want what's best for you! What father doesn't want that? To make their child a god?"

The man's words rung in Taryn's ears as she fleetingly thought about her own father. He would never do anything bad to her or Eren, she was sure. Once again, her eyes quickly flickered around the cave, searching for the father that Eren had mentioned in her vision.

Snapping back to reality, Taryn noticed with despair that Historia's eyes had hardened again and she raised the syringe.

"No! HISTORIA!" she yelled.

But Historia didn't stab her own arm. She smashed the glass syringe against the floor, letting the liquid spread across the uneven stone. Then she turned to her father and flipped him over, slamming him against the ground.

"WHAT IS GOD? IT'S TAKING AN EASY WAY OUT BY INCITING THE POPULACE!" Historia roared.

Taryn couldn't believe her eyes. How strong was this girl?

"Enough! I won't let you kill me any further," she declared. Rod Reiss, with the breath knocked out of him, stared up at his daughter, panic and anger in his eyes. Taryn could hear the echoing laughter from Kenny above.

Historia sprinted up the stairs to Eren. Taryn and Boris followed.

"What are you doing, Historia? Kill me! Eat me now! I don't deserve to live after all the lives I've destroyed!" Eren wailed from his constraints.

Taryn's eyes widened in horror. Why was her little brother talking like that? Did he really feel that guilty? The older Yeager was about to open her mouth to tell Eren that none of it was his fault and that he had so much left to live for, but Historia beat her to it.

"Shut the hell up, Yeager and stop your whining!" the miniature girl yelled, hitting him on the head.

Boris and Taryn gaped at the scene unfolding before them. Historia was tugging on the chains holding Eren down, unable to break it.

"Stop standing and staring and come help me free your brother!" the blonde screamed.

It was enough to snap both Boris and Taryn out of their shock, making them run up to Eren and tug on the chains as well.

"Isn't there a key?" Boris asked desperately.

Historia paused and looked around wildly. "My dad has it I think!"

The three soldiers looked down to see Rod Reiss still sprawled out on the ground…except he was crawling towards the broken vial.

"He's going to transform!" Taryn realized in horror. The minute the words left her lips, a large explosion sounded in the cave, accompanied by a blinding flash of light. The air immediately began to heat up.

A large titan, at least twice the size of the Colossal Titan, was crouched over on the floor. It didn't look up.

"The cave!" Boris cried out, looking up. The ceiling had started to cave in as stalactites crashed to the floor, shattering into a million pieces.

"Get out of here! Leave me to die!" Eren cried.

Taryn smacked the back of her brother's head.

"Shut up, Eren! I'm not leaving here without you!"

A thought occurred to her as the other three fumbled with his chains.

"Eren! Where's dad? I heard you talking to him!"

Eren's green eyes grew large, filling quickly with tears.

"Eren?" Taryn asked in confusion.

Before she could get an answer from her brother, a hot blast of wind issued from the developing titan, blowing all three soldiers back. Historia tumbled straight back while Taryn was blown into Boris, the pair rolling back and getting slammed against the cave wall.

"Get the keys, Mikasa!" a familiar voice commanded. Taryn opened her eyes and looked up to see Squad Levi swarming the collapsing cave.

She felt Boris' arm securely around her waist. Taryn quickly turned around to look at him.

"You okay?" she yelled over the sound rocks and debris crashing into the wall behind him. They had to keep ducking to avoid getting hit in the head. He nodded shortly, his golden eyes flickering to the various soldiers milling around Eren.

Mikasa had managed to retrieve the keys from the ground near the giant titan, throwing it to Captain Levi. Levi worked with Jean to quickly free Eren from his restraints.

"We need to get out of here!" Boris yelled into Taryn's ear. She was about to reply when she felt something hit her leg. It wasn't a rock. Looking down, Taryn noticed a small, metal can next to her thigh.

 _What is this?_ she wondered. The label was face up, allowing her to read it:

 **Armour**

 _Armour? Like the 'hardening ability'?_ she thought, aghast.

There was no time to think about it.

"Eren!" she yelled, catching her brother's attention. The boy turned his head just in time to see his sister flinging an object at him. He quickly caught it, looking at her in confusion.

"Drink it!" she instructed him. Eren didn't doubt her for a second, quickly pulling off the cap and ingesting the liquid.

Another bright flash filled the room, accompanied with a deafening, yet all too familiar, roar.

* * *

The Commander and his squad had arrived at the cave location a bit after Squad Levi had entered it. Erwin and his squad walked around the perimeter, inspecting it all and keeping an eye out for Levi's Squad.

Just as Erwin had turned to listen to a report from one of his subordinates, the ground beneath them began to shake violently. A large crack appeared, splitting the earth in two and causing a load of rocks to fall into it.

From the depths of that crack, out climbed a monstrosity. Erwin couldn't even figure out if it was a titan or not. The beast was literally on fire, the flames licking its skin furiously. The trees in its immediate surrounding area caught on fire, just by being close to the thing. It never stood up straight, instead opting to crawl on all fours, its face smashed into the ground.

Erwin felt his mouth run dry as the thing began to move in the direction of the nearby town of Orvud.

"Sir, what do we do?" a soldier cried.

"Begin evacuating the people immediately!" he barked. "Where is Squad Levi?"

"Over there by the cave entrance sir!" one soldier shouted, pointing over to the location. As Erwin rode to the entrance, he realized that he hadn't seen Taryn yet. Or Boris. They should have been outside the cave. He should have seen them by now.

A high-pitched whinnying noise caught his attention. He turned to see two abandoned horses wandering the countryside.

He recognized those horses.

"Oh no," he muttered. Were the Yeager siblings allergic to listening to orders or something?

"Taryn!" he yelled desperately, looking around for the girl. The earth had literally split in two with a creature straight from hell climbing to the surface, and yet the girl was nowhere to be seen. "TARYN!"

As he got closer to the entrance, he spotted a small cart and horse on standby, a few people already seated in the cart. The glint of glasses let him know that Hanji was one of the people. When he finally reached the cart, he recognized Eren, Mikasa and Historia. Mikasa was trying to restrain Eren to the best of her ability, as the boy seemed to be trying his hardest to jump out of the cart and race back into the crumbling cave.

"Eren, no! Captain Levi is getting them!" she yelped.

"Eren! Where is your sister? What happened here?" the Commander demanded.

"She's still inside the cave, Commander! I was able to create a hardened titan shell to keep the cave from completely collapsing, but she and Boris got stuck behind a few fallen rocks!" Eren babbled as he struggled to free himself from Mikasa's strong grasp.

Erwin could feel his blood pressure rising along with his anxiety.

"Captain Levi's looking for them now, sir." Mikasa added.

Hanji seemed to notice Erwin's steadily increasing temper and sat up, wincing at the pain that radiating through her side, but ignoring it for the most part. She reached out and laid a hand on the Commander's shaking arm.

"She'll be fine, Erwin. Levi can get her out," she cooed.

He threw her hand off. "Don't patronize me, Hanji!" the man snapped, uncharacteristically losing his calm. Hanji just sighed, understanding her friend's trepidation.

The Commander paced back and forth in front of the entrance, dark thoughts flooding his mind.

 _An image of Taryn crushed beneath a multitude of rocks…_

 _Taryn burnt to a crisp because of the titan…_

 _Taryn's lifeless brown eyes unseeingly staring up at him, her bloodless face betraying no life…no emotion…_

"Taryn!"

Erwin's head snapped up at Eren's exclamation.

He watched as Levi emerged from the mouth of the cave, a bedraggled Taryn and Boris trudging after him, clinging onto each other. They were covered from head to toe in dust and dirt, coughing roughly to dispel the debris that had settled in their lungs as well.

The minute they had appeared, Eren hopped out of the cart and flung his arms around Taryn, clutching her tightly to him. Erwin felt a surge of envy run through him at the younger Yeager's ability to hold Taryn so openly in public, while he had to restrain himself from grabbing her, holding her and covering her with kisses.

"I'm so sorry, Taryn!" he wailed. Taryn coughed a few times, patting her brother's back awkwardly.

"What are you sorry for, Eren?" she wheezed.

Eren pulled back and looked at her seriously, sniffling slightly. "I need to talk to you about something, Taryn. It's about dad."

Taryn was slightly thrown off by the solemnity and grief in her brother's gaze.

"Of course," she said, nodding, unease prickling through her.

She made to follow him a slight ways away from the cart when her eyes caught Erwin's. Relief, embarrassment and guilt showed clearly on her face- as clear as the fear and anger on his own.

"Hold on one minute, Eren. I need to speak with the Commander…" she said softly. Eren nodded and helped a limping Boris back to the cart, Levi following close behind them, his eyes glued to the slowly moving titan.

As much as Taryn wanted to fling herself onto the Commander and never stop apologizing for disobeying him, when his icy gaze roved over her, she felt more like running back to the safety of her brother and giving the Commander some time to cool off. But she squared her shoulders and reluctantly walked over to him.

She stopped right in front of him, her gaze fixed on her dust-covered boots as she was unable to meet his gaze.

"Why?" was all he asked, his firm voice quiet but piercing at the same time.

Taryn wanted to explain herself, but what excuse could she make? The guilt she had previously shoved behind at not listening to the Commander came crashing down on her all at once.

"What possessed you to put yourself into danger, _yet again,_ Taryn!?" he said, his voice getting louder, but still quiet enough so as to not attract the attention of the nearby soldiers.

"I-"

"I told you we would rescue your brother! You had no business going down there yourself! You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"But, I-"

"And because of your foolish actions, you endangered Cadet Feulner's life as well! Do you ever think before you act? Put yourself in my place, Taryn! Do you know how worried I-"

"I had my own reasons!" she retorted loudly, catching the Commander by surprise, but not for long.

"Wha-? What reasons could you possibly have for almost dying!?" he bellowed.

"I WANTED TO SEE MY DAD!" she yelled back, her chest heaving.

A deathly silence fell over everyone. Eren had frozen next to the cart at his sister's words. The only sound that could be heard was the crackling sound of fire eating up the forest in its path and the dull thudding noise of the titan moving.

Erwin looked carefully at the girl. Her eyes were brimmed with unshed tears.

"Your dad-?"

She sighed and slumped, looking at the ground once again.

"I heard Eren mention our dad, and I thought that he was down there in the cave with them. But…he wasn't…and I don't know where he is…I just wanted to see him," she said brokenly, suddenly sounding a lot like a lost, little child.

Erwin looked around quickly. Although shocked at the shouting match between Commander and subordinate, all of the soldiers had gone back to work. Levi and Hanji had engaged Eren, Boris and Historia in a conversation, discreetly trying to pull their attention away from the pair.

The Commander quickly grabbed Taryn and pulled her to his side, hiding them behind the girth of his horse.

"You can't keep doing this, Taryn," he groaned, holding onto her tightly. He felt her wind her arms around him and bury her face into his chest. Her shoulders shook as she cried quietly.

"I-I know. And I-I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I just wanted to s-see him…"

"Do I have to keep you chained to me all the time so that you don't run off?" he asked weakly.

She shook her head.

"Look at me, Taryn," he said, his voice slightly warmer than before. He tucked a finger beneath her chin, raising her face to look up at his.

"Please… _please_ stop putting yourself in dangerous situations," he began. Taryn made to protest, but he cut her off. "No, listen to me. If you feel the need to do something that deviates from my, or anyone else's orders, just come and tell me about it. I promise I'll help you come up with a plan and help you in any way I can."

Taryn sniffled, her eyes widening at the Commander's words.

"I realize that I can't control everything you do," he admitted, "but I can help you with things. Just tell me before you go run off…" he begged.

"O-okay…" she nodded, wiping her eyes.

"Promise?" he asked firmly.

Before Taryn could respond, he interrupted. "Don't make a promise you won't keep."

Taryn looked slightly hurt, but she nodded. "I promise."

Erwin sighed, his anger dissipating and leaving behind immense feelings of relief.

Relief that she was alive.

He cupped her cheek. "Taryn, you've given me a reason to fight," he said gently. "I used to fight for humanity…for myself. But now I have you. Please don't take that reason away from me."

"I won't, Erwin. I love you," she whispered, standing on her toes.

Erwin bent down to meet her halfway and kissed her, pouring all of his emotions into that single kiss. He pulled back slightly after a few seconds, breathing heavily.

"I love you so much," he groaned, bending down to kiss her again.

Her arms snaked around his neck as she pressed herself tightly against him, molding her lips to fit his perfectly.

The world was crashing and burning around them, yet at that moment, it didn't matter to them.

The two were trapped in their own little bubble and they were determined to ignore everything else for the few blissful seconds they were given.

* * *

 **A/N** :

Quick thing I want to add- technically the canon timeline between the Colossal Titan's attack on the Wall (when Eren and fam were just cadets) to this point has been like **2 months**. No matter how much I believe in the power of love and whatnot, I do not think it is humanly possibly to love someone (a.k.a. Luka), lose them to death, and then fall in love with another person in such a short amount of time. For the purposes of this fic, we're going to assume that the time span between the colossal titan's attack on the wall and this point of the story has ranged over a time span of almost a **year**. Just to make the whole Erwin/Taryn love thing more realistic.

Also, I know there's a lot of "I love yous" in this chapter, and although it may seem like almost _too many_ (because like, whoa, they just got together)- I think it makes sense because **a)** people are dying left and right and no one knows how much time they have left, so I feel like relationships would progress _really quickly_ in the SnK world **b)** they've harboured these feelings for a while (unbeknownst to them) and now they've realized that they can express it and **c)** if you've ever been in a relationship where you truly love the other person, telling them how much you love them can be super addicting (or at least it was in my experience), especially when your chances of dying are at like 60% (something I have not experienced, but I imagine it would be that way).

Anywho, sorry for the long **A/N** but thank you to **GoldenLombaxGirl** , **Nina fo life** , and **NachoNachoMan1992** for the reviews from that made my heart soar! Special shout out to **Vega909** whose review made me jump out of bed and run around my apartment squealing like an idiot. My roommates now think I am even more insane than they assumed before. Also, it's such a treat to hear from you again **dareaderreads**!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story. I also don't own any of the songs or song lyrics used.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence, sexual scenes (eventually), and character deaths.

 **A/N:** I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. This last month(s?) has been…maddeningly insane. I'm also sorry if I haven't replied to any PM's recently, I will reply as soon as I can. Finals, graduating from university, work, (my life being consumed by Season 6 of _Game of Thrones_ ) and other personal problems have been flattening me into a pancake of stress. Not to mention, this chapter was _extremely hard_ to write for some reason… But your encouragement really helped! So thank you, guys! In any case, I hope you enjoy!

Quick reminder: _italics_ represent thoughts or memories.

A huge thank you to **GoldenLombaxGirl** , **Nuuk** , **Nina fo life** , **Vega909** , and **insane is normal** \- to you, **insane is normal** , I give an extra thank you because I'm so glad to know that some of my writing could actually make someone (even just one person) feel better! It really warms my heart to know this, so thank you so much!

Beware of **George R.R. Martin**. He will break your heart into one million pieces if he hasn't already. Also, beware of **spoilers** in this chapter (You find out what happens to Grisha Yeager, basically).

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Sixteen: A Father's Farewell

 _"_ _You were once my one companion,  
_ _You were all that mattered.  
_ _You were once a friend and father,  
_ _Then my world was shattered."_

 _(Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again- Emmy Rossum)_

* * *

Fire hungrily devoured the trees in the surrounding area, the flames licking every green surface available as the large titan slowly crawled across the landscape.

"Can you make it stop or slow down at all?" Levi asked Taryn.

Taryn shook her head.

"I tried, but he won't listen to me…"

"Well, it was worth a shot," Erwin sighed.

Deciding that it was time to come up with a quick plan, the Commander turned to his Captain, tossing ideas to him and formulating ideas. Taryn stood idly by the Commander's side, her gaze magnetically drawn to the large titan. She could feel waves of rage and determination coming off of the titan in waves as prominent as the fire on its body.

"Taryn?" came a soft voice. She looked around and spotted brother standing nervously behind her.

"Hey, Eren," she responded.

"Can we talk now?"

She then remembered that her brother had something to tell her about their father. She nodded and turned to walk away before she felt a strong hand grip her arm, the Commander's blue eyes questioning her.

"I just need to talk to him. We won't go anywhere," she reassured him, gently brushing her fingers against his arm. Erwin hesitated before letting her go and turning back to talk to Levi.

The siblings began walking a ways away from the rest of the soldiers, settling down into a grassy patch on the field.

"So…what did the Commander have to talk to you about?" Eren asked curiously.

Taryn cocked an eyebrow, unsure if she should tell her brother about her relationship to the Commander or not. She decided it would be safer to keep it on the down low for the time being.

"He wanted to make sure that I was alright."

Eren cocked his head. "Why just you?"

"Um…I don't know?"

Eren thought about it for a minute before just shrugging. Taryn thanked her lucky stars that Eren could be oblivious at times. "So," she began, "what did you want to talk about?"

The young teen's expression immediately darkened. Taryn felt herself shudder with anticipatory fear. This obviously was not going to be a cheerful talk.

"I-it's about dad," he whispered.

"What about dad? Did you see him in the cave?" she asked, perking up eagerly.

"No. Yes. I mean…kind of…"

Taryn felt a huge smile spreading across her face. "So he's…alive? Oh my goodness, this is fantastic! Where's dad then?" she asked looking around.

"No…I didn't see him in person…"

"Well then where did you see him?"

Eren took a deep breath. "In my memories."

"…"

"They weren't normal memories, Taryn."

Taryn stared at her brother, the smile slipping off her face. "What do you mean?"

"Remember the same dream we had? Where he injected us with something- except neither of us could remember it happening in real life?"

She slowly nodded, fear gripping her.

"It did happen. He just made us forget."

Taryn narrowed her eyes in disbelief as something clicked in her mind. "He-…dad made us like…like this?" He had injected them both with some…messed up titan liquid?!

Eren nodded, his green eyes guilty.

"And?" she asked roughly, knowing that there was more her brother wasn't telling her.

"And…" Eren's shoulders shook slightly. "…and I-..I ate him, Taryn."

Taryn couldn't move. She could see Eren's lips moving. She heard the words that he had said. Yet, it didn't make any sense.

"What?" she rasped.

"He's…dead."

Taryn shook her head wordlessly.

"That's not funny, Eren," she said in a low voice.

Eren's head snapped up, fire burning in his emerald eyes. "It's not supposed to be, Taryn! I ate dad! He made us freaks! He turned me into a titan and then made me eat him!"

Taryn stood up and staggered backwards away from Eren, her head spinning.

"He was a fucking titan shifter, Taryn!" Eren yelled, getting up to follow her.

"Shut up, Eren!" she screamed between gritted teeth. Rage ran through her at her brother's words. She knew, somewhere in the back of her mind that she shouldn't be getting mad at her brother but at her dad…yet she couldn't help it.

"Shut up! Dad would never do that! He would never make us like this…he wasn't a titan!" Hot tears spilled from her eyes as images of her father flitted through her mind. "He's a doctor, Eren! A DOCTOR!"

" _Was_ a doctor. He died because I killed him…" Eren's face scrunched up into a scowl. "THE BASTARD MADE ME KILL HIM! HE WAS A LYING PIECE OF SCUM WHO CARED MORE ABOUT TITANS THAN SAVING US OR MOM-"

 _SLAP._

The sharp sound rang clearly through the air.

Eren's eyes were wide as a small red handprint began to form on his cheek, the anger dissipating from his eyes and being replaced with shock and hurt.

Taryn's hand stung from hitting him so hard.

"Don't you _dare_ say another bad word about dad," she snarled quietly.

She felt a strong arm grab onto her shoulder and pull her back against something warm and solid. The familiar scent of musk and whiskey flowed over her, alerting her of the Commander's presence. But she never once removed her gaze from Eren. Captain Levi was currently holding onto the younger boy, pulling him away from Taryn before either sibling did something stupid. Mikasa had jumped up from the cart and run over to Eren's side, glaring angrily at Taryn. Armin was watching from the cart, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Taryn could barely believe that she had slapped her brother as well. She treasured the boy more than anything else in the world. She babied him, fought with him, and occasionally roughhoused with him- but never had she ever hit him in a fit of anger before. She had always been there to protect him…

But she couldn't help it. The shock of the news of Grisha Yeager's part in this entire scheme along with his death was enough to make her mind shut down. All she could think about was her dad.

Her dad couldn't be a titan shifter. He couldn't be a cold-blooded part of the monsters that were trying to destroy humanity. Grisha Yeager was a father, a husband, and a doctor. He was a kind man with a strict countenance who loved nothing more than to be with his family.

"Taryn," Erwin's gentle voice said from behind her.

Taryn numbly pulled her arm out from his grasp.

"Leave me alone," she mumbled, stumbling away from him.

"Taryn, let's talk about this," he said following after her. As she continued to walk away from him, she could hear Captain Levi talking quietly to Eren in the background. At this moment, she wanted nothing more than to run back to her brother, apologize to him, and hug him tightly…but she couldn't.

"Please, leave me alone," she begged, not looking back. She did hear the Commander's footsteps pause before starting again, except this time they got farther and farther away from her.

When she was certain that he'd left her alone, although she was quite aware that he'd be keeping an eye on her, she let the tears flow unrestrained.

After all, she had been her father's little girl. But now her father was dead.

* * *

Mikasa's grey eyes swept carefully over Eren's crumpled figure. The remaining crew was making their way back to the wall in order to ready themselves for a fight against Rod Reiss' titan form. Hanji lay across from them, her eyes shut as she dozed off, wincing every once in a while as the rough ride jostled her wounds.

Armin rode up at the front of the wagon, quietly directing the horse…lost in his own thoughts. Taryn and Boris rode on their horses far behind everyone else, talking quietly in low tones. Erwin and Levi rode silently in front of the wagon.

"What did you tell her?" Mikasa finally whispered to Eren, wondering what on earth had caused the older girl to hit her little brother.

Eren shook his head, his eyes glued to the floor of the cart.

Mikasa sighed and scooted closer to him until their shoulders touched.

"Eren. It won't help to keep it all in. Tell me," she pushed lightly.

Eren's shoulders slumped. "I found out what happened to dad," he said hoarsely.

Mikasa remained quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"He- he was a titan-shifter, Mikasa…" Mikasa's eyes widened slightly at the information, but she didn't say anything. "And…he made me kill him. So that I could become one."

This information was definitely a shock, but Mikasa didn't react. She didn't want Eren to think she was judging him- which she wasn't…but just in case.

"Eren, his death isn't your fault," she said firmly, grasping one of his hands in her own.

Emerald eyes snapped up to look at her in desperation.

"How can it not be?" he rasped. "I killed him, and now my sister hates me! And he also gave her titan powers as well! I hate him! Why did he do this to us and leave us alone? Why didn't he stay to save mom?"

Mikasa was not surprised at the bitterness in the boy's voice, and at the moment, as much as she had liked Grisha Yeager back when he had been alive, she couldn't help but feel negatively towards him for his actions…for the pain he caused his two children. She grabbed his hand and entwined their fingers together.

"Eren, Taryn doesn't hate you. She's just shocked," the raven-haired girl reasoned quietly. "She loves you more than anything…you know that…"

Eren buried his face against his knees and whispered a question.

"But what if _I_ hate _myself_?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Taryn and Boris were having a similar conversation.

"He probably hates me now…" she murmured sadly.

Boris glared at her. "You know he doesn't, Taryn. Snap out of it. You have information now- put it together and figure out _why_ he did this. Your father didn't give you guys titan abilities for no reason."

Taryn sighed and nodded dejectedly.

"You're right…"

"As expected," he said with a cheeky grin in an attempt to deflate the tense atmosphere.

The corner of Taryn's lips twitched for a second. "Idiot," she muttered under her breath.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

Taryn just shook her head. "Okay, so our dad was apparently a titan shifter. Yet he never did anything to harm anyone. He-he did the opposite. He healed people…"

"Maybe to make up for any destruction he caused as a titan?" Boris suggested.

Taryn nodded. "It could be. So the minute Shiganshina was destroyed, he came back and apparently took me and Eren away from Mikasa, without her knowing. He injected us with separate serums- one to make Eren a titan, and one let me talk to the titans."

"And control them," he added.

"Right. But why didn't he just give the entire thing to Eren? Why split it in half?" she pondered.

Boris nodded thoughtfully. "That's true. If Eren had both powers, he would have been a game-changing piece in the scheme of things."

"And my dad was smart enough to know that. So why did he give me some abilities as well?"

Taryn and Boris went quiet for a little bit, both thinking hard about the reasoning behind Grisha's actions. Taryn's eyes automatically flitted over to the slowly crawling titan. As she watched it make its way, understanding lit up in her eyes.

"Boris, I think I know why," she breathed, not removing her eyes from the large titan.

"Why?"

"I think he split it up to make it harder for someone like Rod Reiss to inherit the ultimate titan power," she exclaimed. "Think about it! Keeping all that power in one place would be risky. One mistake, and all of that power could end up in the wrong hands…"

"..so by separating the powers, it would be harder for someone like Rod Reiss to get them in the first place?" Boris pondered.

"Exactly!"

"I guess that makes sense," he conceded slowly. "But it still doesn't explain why your father sacrificed himself."

At this, Taryn deflated, her body drooping at the mention of her deceased father.

"No. I guess it doesn't," she whispered.

Boris looked at her pityingly.

* * *

"Keep the buckets of water coming! We have to keep cool!" Levi shouted to all the other soldiers.

It was so hot.

The flaming titan had finally reached the wall, stopping right against it. Steam seeped from its skin in large plumes, completely flooding the wall with heat. All of the soldiers were sweating immensely, their shirts and pants clinging to their bodies like a second layer of skin.

One soldier ran up to Erwin, who, despite being covered in sweat as well, managed to maintain his usual cool façade.

"Sir," the young man exclaimed, panting heavily, but managing to arrange his arms in a feeble salute.

Erwin nodded, prompting the boy to speak.

"The cannons are completely ineffective, sir! No matter what angle we aim the cannons at the titan, nothing will slow it down!"

"As expected," Erwin sighed with a frown. "Tell everyone to stop firing the cannons. There's no use in wasting ammunition if it won't work," he directed the young man. With a nod, the soldier ran off to frantically relay the message to the rest of the group.

Levi walked up to Erwin's side, wiping his brow as his narrow eyes surveyed the scene.

"We have the remaining explosives gathered up like you asked," he grunted. "But what are we going to do with them?"

"I'm not sure yet," came Erwin's cool reply. Levi cocked a slim eyebrow. Although his face didn't show it, he was quite concerned. It wasn't a normal occurrence for the Commander to not have a plan. Erwin looked around, taking in the sight of all the remaining soldiers who were frantically running around, trying to keep cool while eyeing the titan warily.

"Have you seen Taryn?" he asked Levi, unable to see the younger girl.

"She's with her brother further down the wall. They were talking when I last saw them."

Erwin nodded. "Keep everyone ordered here, Levi. I'll come up with a plan."

Levi huffed in annoyance but acknowledged the Commander's words anyways.

* * *

Quite a ways down the wall, Eren and Taryn were standing before one another, staring each other down. No one dared approach the two for fear of being caught in the ridiculously dangerous aura radiating from the siblings.

Erwin slowed down and stopped to watch the two exchange words.

"That doesn't excuse what he did, Taryn!" Eren shouted as his sister. Apparently the two were in the middle of an argument. Erwin's blue eyes narrowed impatiently. This wasn't the best time for something like this.

"I know, Eren! But you can't blame yourself and there's no use in getting mad at dad. He's gone…" At those last words, Taryn's voice wavered a bit, but she cleared her throat before continuing. "I don't blame you, and I'm sorry for hitting you earlier…"

"I deserved it…I killed him. I'm useless, Taryn. What have I done except kill people and cause destruction? What difference do I make?" he asked bitterly, finally lowering his emerald eyes to his feet.

Taryn frowned at her brother's words, walking up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Eren," she began, forcing him to look up at her. "You want to know what the biggest difference between today and five years ago is?"

He nodded.

"It's you," she said, poking a finger into his chest. "It's you…and Mikasa…and Armin…and every other soldier that's up on this wall right now, ready to give their lives to protect the rest of humanity."

Eren's emerald eyes widened as he absorbed her words.

"Five years ago, there were no soldiers up on this wall to defend us. But now, there are. Five years ago, we didn't have a titan on our side to protect us. But now-" her eyes misted over a bit as she looked at her brother proudly, "…now… we have you."

"Taryn..." he whispered.

Taryn angrily wiped at her eyes. "So don't you dare tell me that you can't make a difference, Eren Yeager. You're my brother, and we Yeagers are definitely not useless. Not dad. Not mom. Not me…" she took a deep breath. "And not you."

Eren offered her a quivering smile before rushing forward and hugging her tightly, catching the older girl by surprise.

"Thanks, Taryn," he muttered against her head.

Taryn patted him on the back, savoring the rare moment of affection and peace from her brother. This was a rough time for both of them- they were now officially orphans. But…it didn't matter. Taryn would always be there for her brother. And he would be there for her.

"There's no time to stand still! Get busy," came the steely tone of Mikasa. Taryn caught the small smile that graced the girl's lips though.

Eren nodded and pulled back from Taryn, running forward to join Mikasa and Armin in tying up ammunition.

"It's good to see you're both on good terms again," came a quiet voice from behind Taryn.

Taryn spun around in surprise to see Erwin. Unlike many of the soldiers who had taken their jackets, and even some shirts, off, the Commander remained resolute in keeping every article of his uniform on, looking every bit the part of the Survey Corp's stony leader- despite the torrents of sweat that poured down his face and neck.

"Yeah. I'm glad," she said softly. Taryn looked up to meet his gaze, biting her lip slightly. "Listen, I'm sorry for walking away from you earlier. You were just trying to help."

"It's fine, Taryn. I understand. There were a lot of things you had to process, and it probably was best that you processed those thoughts and emotions alone."

She smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you for understanding, sir."

He inclined his head, his blue eyes glued to her face. "Always."

A sudden wind blew over the wall, directing the flow of the titan's stream onto the solders completely. Synchronized screams and cries of pain rose up from the soldiers as the heat seared their skin.

"Wha-?"

A giant hand clamped onto part of the wall, causing it to crumble. A few soldiers fell to their gory deaths as the stone gave way beneath their feet. Erwin hastily grabbed Taryn's arm, pulling her away from the destruction and onto a stable section of the wall. She fell back against his chest, her eyes stuck to the giant limb.

"Shit," Jean hissed from nearby as he tried to scramble to his feet.

The titan slowly stood up.

"Oh my-" Taryn breathed quietly, her eyes wide with fear and shock as the great figure towered over them. Erwin's grasp tightened on her arm as he subconsciously pulled her closer to him. "Erwin…" she gasped.

"I see," he responded quietly.

It was like nothing they had ever seen before.

The titan was completely missing the front half of its body. You could see its insides- from its ribcage to its protruding stomach cavity.

"Mr. Arlert was correct in assuming that its overwhelming body mass would cause the part of its body that was dragged on the ground to be scraped away," he mused. "This will make things much easier for your brother and the soldiers."

"Eren? What's Eren's part in this plan?" Taryn asked, turning around to face the Commander.

"He will shift to his titan form, and launch a large net of explosives into the titan's mouth. This shouldn't prove to be too difficult since the titan cannot close its mouth in any case. The heat from the titan will be enough to trigger the explosives on contact, blowing its nape off hopefully."

Taryn looked stunned. So this was the plan she had missed out on when she had been talking with Boris?

"And if its nape isn't blown up?"

Erwin nodded. "Then we have a multitude of soldiers on standby to deliver the killing blow."

"Right, I should get ready then to go with them," she said, moving to pull herself out from his grasp. He pulled her back roughly against him.

"No. You stay here," he said firmly.

Taryn looked at him in surprise.

"What are you talking about? My brother's going out there to fight…everyone's going out there to fight! You can't exactly expect me to stay here and do nothing!"

"That's _exactly_ what I expect you to do, Taryn," he growled, his blue eyes piercing into her very soul. She shivered.

"Why are you underestimating me?" she complained. "I want to help."

"I'm not underestimating you. I'm well aware of your abilities. But there are others willing to risk their lives- and I'm not willing to risk yours," he said with an air of finality. Before Taryn could protest, he placed a firm, yet lingering kiss to her forehead.

"Feulner! Keep an eye on her," he shouted over her shoulder. Immediately, Boris abandoned his post and rushed over to Taryn's side. "Make sure she doesn't engage with the titan," Erwin said coolly before turning around to walk towards the monster.

Taryn frowned in frustration. "Again? Seriously?"

"Don't even try to go against his orders again, . We both know how badly that turned out last time…" Boris sighed, grabbing onto Taryn's hand and pulling her a safe distance away from the ruckus.

"I know…I won't," she grumbled in defeat.

Once the pair had run far away from the fight, they turned around to watch the action. Taryn watched as the recognizable form of her brother's titan figure jumped towards the maw of the flaming titan, launching a net of explosives into its opening. At the same time, more than twenty soldiers flew up into the air, milling around the great titan like tiny flies- waiting for the right moment to strike.

Then suddenly, an explosion was heard. Screams reverberated through the air. Steam covered the entire scene, blocking everything from their gazes.

But nothing could block out that final roar that rang loudly in Taryn's ears.

* * *

"Come on, Boris!"

The silver haired soldier rolled his eyes as he attempted to keep up with Taryn. The two sprinted through the city hurriedly to find the rest of their cohorts. Apparently, Historia had been the one to deliver the killing blow, efficiently ending the titan's life. The entire tussle had thrown most of the soldiers off of the wall though, making it hard for Taryn to locate her friends and Erwin.

After witnessing Historia's heroic actions and her claim to the throne, the townspeople immediately hailed her as their true queen, ushering her to the center of the town for her coronation.

"You think they'll all be there?" she asked as they paused to catch their breath.

Boris bent over slightly, huffing. "I'm sure of it."

"Let's go then!" she exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Let a fellow catch his breath, first!" Boris protested.

"Fine, old man" Taryn teased. Boris gave her a small glare.

The two slid down against a brick wall, seating themselves on the rough cobblestone street. Taryn leaned over and rested her head on Boris' shoulder as the two attempted to slow down their racing hearts.

"Now that we've got a moment to ourselves, how are you?" he asked quietly, shifting to rest his cheek on her head.

"Tired, I guess?" she said with a small shrug.

Boris chuckled. "No, I meant about your father. Now that we're not facing death head on, has it…I don't know…hit you yet?"

Taryn exhaled deeply.

"What happened happened, Boris. I don't really want to think about it too much. I'm sad, yes…but somehow…even though I wish he wasn't dead, I think Eren and I kind of knew he was all this time."

Boris lifted his head and looked at her in surprise. "Really? You guys knew?"

Taryn rubbed her eye tiredly. "I mean, I guess. Eren more so than me. He didn't want to be hopeful and then let down." She chuckled bitterly. "I guess he was right in thinking that way."

The two remained silent as they watched people flood the streets as the attempted to make it to Historia's coronation.

Boris laughed. "There's no way we're getting through all of that," he said, nodding towards the crowd.

"Mmm…"

"Do we even need to be there for her coronation?" he asked.

Taryn thought about it. Although she had been eagerly racing through the town earlier, all of a sudden, she just felt tired. The adrenaline high from before had faded, as had her desire to see the crowning of their new queen. All she wanted was to make sure that her brother, Mikasa and Armin were fine, followed by a long night of sleep curled up in the Commander's arms.

"Nah…" she said in reply to Boris' query. "Let's just wait until everything clears out. We can meet them straight at the castle."

Boris hummed happily before resting his cheek on Taryn's head again.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

* * *

Historia was clothed in a resplendent white dress, her flaxen hair styled down loosely over her shoulders. On top her head sat the coveted, golden crown.

Erwin, along with the rest of the Survey Corps, knelt before their new queen, listening to the cheers of the townspeople. After she had swept by them and walked into the castle, all of the soldiers straightened up, sharing smiles with one another at a job well done. As Erwin stood up with the rest of them, his eyes swept over the dispersing crowd, seeking the one face he had lost track of in all of the confusion.

Alas, he couldn't spot her.

"Arlert," he said, grabbing hold of the passing blonde's arm.

"Yes, sir?" the boy asked, pausing to stand before the Commander.

"Have you seen Taryn?"

Armin quickly looked around before shaking his head.

"I haven't, Commander. The last I saw her was when we were still on the wall."

Erwin sighed in frustration. "Of course... In any case, thank you," he said, turning to leave.

"Um, sir?"

Erwin stopped to look back at the blonde soldier. Armin's intelligent eyes were gazing at him in concern.

"It's possible that she was too tired to come to the ceremony. Maybe she stopped to rest and eat somewhere before coming to the castle?"

"It is possible," Erwin muttered. "Thank you for the suggestion, Arlert. I'll let you be on your way."

Armin inclined his head, offering the Commander a small smile before following behind his friends. He was stopped once more by the boy's soft voice.

"She'll be fine, sir. I'm sure of it."

* * *

Taryn and Boris stood before the castle, staring up at the immense structure with a mix of apprehension and exhaustion. Stars twinkled in the night sky as cool blusters of wind coaxed them into stepping inside the castle.

"Ready?" Boris asked, surveying her expression with pale golden eyes.

Taryn took a deep breath and nodded.

The two walked into the structure, immediately met by the sight of soldiers milling around the hallways. Boris caught a nearby cadet who seemed to be hurrying down a hall with many others.

"Oi, where are you all headed to?"

"Dinner! There's a great feast in honour of the new queen and for Eren Jaeger since he helped save the city. Hurry before all the good food's gone!" the young man exclaimed.

Boris' eyes lit up. He couldn't remember the last time he had had a good meal.

"Food?" he asked Taryn. She grinned at his eager expression, glad to know that her brother was safe.

"While it sounds tempting, I think there's someone I need to see first." She turned to the boy. "Would you happen to know where the Commander is?"

The boy thought for a few moments before nodding. "I saw him upstairs somewhere. By the library I think."

"Thank you," Taryn replied. The boy gave her quick smile before rushing off to the feast.

Boris turned to Taryn, smirking.

"You'd prioritize the Commander over food?" he asked with false horror.

Taryn rolled her eyes and lightly punched his shoulder. "I'll see you later. Enjoy your feast, Feulner," she laughed.

The silver haired soldier ruffled her hair before following the other soldiers into the dining hall. Taryn turned around to climb up the stairs and wander the richly marbled hallways. She wondered what it must feel like to live in such splendor, lost in thought as she walked into the library the soldier had spoken about.

 _"_ _Dad?"_

 _Grisha Yeager looked down at his young daughter, who stood steadfastly at his side._

 _"_ _Mhmm?"_

 _"_ _Why don't we live a house like this?" Taryn asked as she gazed around the mansion they were currently in._

 _Grisha had been summoned to a rich merchant within Wall Rose in order to help deliver the merchant wife's baby. He had brought Taryn along to teach her the mechanics of birthing a child. He had been quite amused to see that his daughter, while not put off by the sight of blood, had nearly fainted when the baby started crowning._

 _After the lengthy, and gory, procedure, the woman had given birth to a beautiful baby boy. Taryn had been made to wait in the living room of the mansion while her father did a routine checkup to make sure the baby was of good health. As she sat in the room, her eyes wandered everywhere. The chairs were made of a deep, mahogany colour. The walls were painted a rich red and the windows were covered with drapes of gold. The floor was of creamy marble that shone in the afternoon sunlight._

 _Taryn could hardly compare her humble abode to this magnificent household. The Yeager home would look like a hut next to this mansion. While Taryn never really found the need to be surrounded by rich and pretty things, she didn't understand why they didn't have them in the first place._

 _"_ _We don't live in a mansion like this because we don't need to," he said softly as he packed his medical bag._

 _Taryn scrunched her nose in confusion._

 _"_ _Why don't we need to?"_

 _Grisha raised an eyebrow in amusement._

 _"_ _We don't need to live like this because our house is good enough for us. As long as we have a roof over our heads, food to eat, and a family to love, we are amongst the richest people in the world."_

 _There was a pause. Then-_

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _Grisha sighed in defeat. Never try to argue with a ten year old. He grabbed her hand in his, pressing a quick kiss to it._

 _"_ _Because I said so, my love."_

"Taryn!"

Taryn jumped as a familiar warm arm wrapped around her waist. She quickly swiped at her eyes, wiping away the memory of her father along with some traitorous tears.

"Erwin?" she asked, turning around in his arm to see him face to face. Or face to chest. Once again she was reminded of how tall the Commander truly was.

"You had me really worried, Taryn. Did it really take you all day to get from the wall to the castle?"

Taryn chuckled. "We had a few stops along the way. Boris is not used to running so much apparently."

"Well you did miss the coronation ceremony," Erwin stated dryly as he guided her to a window nook within the library. The two sat down neatly, Taryn held tightly to his side.

"I'm not one for large events in any case," she said with a shrug.

Erwin nodded, leaning forward to press his lips against her hair. Taryn leaned into the kiss, entwining her fingers with his. They remained silent, enjoying the peace.

"So what are plans from now on?" Taryn finally asked, breaking the silence.

Erwin sighed. "For tonight, we're letting everyone celebrate. We need some positivity after all. But tomorrow, we get straight to work. There are a lot of documents Historia needs to go through, as well as many things she has yet to learn about ruling as a queen."

"Sounds…busy…"

"It will be."

Taryn turned to look at him, raising her hand to cup his cheek. Erwin's usually stern face looked tired and worn. Dark circles hung beneath his slightly blood-shot eyes, and small lines were visible on his forehead. She gently ran her thumb across the blonde bristles that covered his jaw.

"Why don't we get some rest?" she asked softly. "Possibly the last full night of rest we'll be getting for a while?"

"Have you eaten dinner?"

She shook her head. "I'm not hungry…just really tired."

Erwin nodded before shifting slightly to press a kiss to the inside of her palm, enjoying the feeling of her steady pulse against his face. Taryn studied him with careful eyes as she withdrew her hand from his face.

"Kiss me?"

Erwin allowed the corner of his lips to turn upwards slightly. He knew she was still hurting and struggling with the news of her father's death as well as trying to keep herself together for her brother's sake. Things would probably get a lot harder from here on out, but he knew that would remain by her side the entire time…and he would try his hardest to keep her smiling throughout.

He bent down obediently, letting his lips lightly brush against hers as his fingers tangled themselves in her hair to pull her closer.

"Anything for you."

* * *

Erwin felt something warm and soft lightly trail across his face, moving down from his eyes, to the tip of his nose, across his jaw and finally resting on his own lips. He also felt something tickling his nostrils.

He opened his eyes, blinking a few times to clear his vision, which was immediately obscured by a mass of black curly hair hovering over him.

"Good morning," he breathed, his voice rough and gravelly.

He felt Taryn shift over him and watched as a wide smile spread across her lips.

"Good morning to you as well, Commander. Took you long enough to wake up…"

Erwin cocked a brow at this. Taryn was notorious for sleeping in given that she hated mornings, so it was quite surprising to see her awake earlier than him.

"It appears so," he chuckled.

Blue eyes roved across Taryn's face, as Erwin enjoyed the feeling of being woken up in such a loving manner. He also noticed slight shadows smudged under her eyes, which surprised him given that the last few months after Historia's coronation had been relatively stress free and the fact that everyone was able to catch up on sleep. Erwin was pleased to get an average of around five hours of sleep a night- way more than the brief catnaps he lived on in the past.

"You look tired," he grunted as he sat up, causing Taryn to fall sitting into his lap. She frowned and rubbed her eyes consciously.

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine…"

Erwin sensed some hesitancy behind her words.

"You have wall patrol today, right? Are you sure you'll be fine?"

She shrugged and offered him a bright grin, wrapping her arms around his neck. They both knew that her smile was forced.

"Enough about me. You have a meeting today, don't you?"

The Commander frowned lightly, but let her change of subject pass.

"I do. With Levi, Hanji and some of the royal officials."

Taryn smiled as she leaned forward to rest her forehead against his. "That's nice. Hanji will finally get to update them about her progress with that new titan killing-…guillotine…thing?"

Erwin laughed. "Yes she will. It sounds like she'll need a proper name for it as well."

"Eren helped a lot with it didn't he? With his new armour hardening abilities?"

Erwin could hear the faint sound of pride in her tone mixed with something else he couldn't identify.

"Yes, your brother has been a great help in helping to reclaim Wall Maria and Shiganshina District."

"Shiganshina District?" Taryn asked in confusion before realizing what he meant. "Oh…you mean our home and my father's-"

"-basement, yes," he said, finishing her sentence. His blue eyes gleamed at the idea. Taryn sighed. She knew that one of the Commander's rarely voiced motivations in life was to get to her father's secret basement. Even she wanted to know what was in it, and heaven knew that Eren was just as curious given that Grisha had specifically given _him_ the key to it…but their curiosity was nothing compared to Erwin's obsession with it.

"Well," she began, pressing a kiss to his nose, "I'm sure we'll find out what's there sooner or later."

Erwin nodded as he unconsciously rubbed small circles onto her back, imagining the possibilities of what that basement held.

"Hopefully sooner than later," he murmured.

* * *

"So I take it the…erm…-"

"Titan Guillotine, sir," Hanji supplied helpfully.

The corner of Erwin's lips twitched upwards for a second, amused that Hanji took his advice to name her new…toy.

"Of course- the Titan Guillotine. I take it that this tool has been efficient in killing titans that wander near the wall?" the head official asked.

"That, plus the path we're trying to open to Shiganshina is going well, sir," Erwin said.

"Ah, very good. Our work to reclaim Wall Maria seems to be going splendidly. Well done, Survey Corps."

With a final commandment from the head official, the meeting was dismissed. All of the officials milled out of the room. Erwin, Hanji, Levi and Generalissimo Zacklay were left inside, accompanied by the head of the Garrison Regiment, Commander Pixis, who carried with him a small, black case.

Once everyone had left the room, Levi closed the door firmly, and situated himself in front of it.

Commander Pixis set the black case onto the table, and gently opened it for all those in the room to see it. Levi eyed it warily.

"What is this, Commander?" Zacklay asked Pixis as he adjusted his glasses to peer at the contents of the case.

"It is something that Captain Levi managed to…retrieve," Pixis said carefully.

Zacklay looked at Levi expectantly.

"Retrieve? From where, Levi?"

Although Levi remained stone-faced on the outside, he felt guilt rise up in his chest as he thought of how his uncle, Kenny Ackerman, had given it to him with his dying breath. But he couldn't tell the Generalissimo of that. Who would trust something delivered from the hands of a traitorous murderer after all?

"I got it from the cave where Rod Reiss transformed. The bastard was carrying it in a bag," he muttered quickly.

Zacklay was a very smart man and could sense the lie behind Levi's words, but said nothing of it. He cleared his throat.

"And so? Have you figured out what it is? What it does?"

Pixis exchanged a quick look with Hanji, the latter of which nodded before turning to address everyone else.

"It appears that we've exhausted all of our technological resources trying to analyze this," she said, pointing to the slender syringe housed within the black case. Next to it sat a small grey vial, which held a deceivingly innocent liquid inside it.

"And why is that?"

"If what Eren and Historia have said in the past are true- and based upon what we've determined about the titans' true natures- we think that the liquid in this vial is derived from human spinal fluid…"

Zacklay frowned. "You _think_?"

Commander Pixis walked around the table, his eyes fixed on the case, as he jumped into the conversation.

"We can only guess at what it is since the liquid evaporates every time it's exposed to the air."

"We don't believe the Reiss family would have created it to harm themselves, so it must have some benefit to it. Worse comes to worse," Hanji stated, her eyes flickering to Erwin, "we can use it in the event where we have no other choice-no other saving grace."

Zacklay noticed the eye contact between the two soldiers and grunted.

"Then I suppose Commander Erwin will be taking responsibility of it?"

Erwin shook his head.

"As a soldier, I'm close to useless since I already lack one limb." He turned to look firmly at Levi. "In this case, the vial should be given to the soldier with the highest chances of survival."

Levi shrugged nonchalantly.

"If that's an order, then of course. I'll keep hold of it."

Erwin shook his head, narrowing his eyes.

"It's more than just holding onto it Levi. I don't know when we might need to use it…which means, I'm leaving the decision of when to use it up to you."

Levi sighed.

"Understood."

* * *

"You ready down there, Moblit?" Jean called.

Moblit gulped loudly from where he stood. His swords were ready at his side as he adjusted his stance behind the large, hardened shell of Eren's titan armour form. Eren himself stood atop the wall with the rest of the soldiers, watching Moblit eagerly.

A ten-metre titan stood in front of the shell, it's flabby arm desperately clawing between the holes in the armour to reach for Moblit.

"If I die because of this-" the nervous soldier began to yell.

"-then Squad Leader Hanji will torture us all…we know!" Connie exclaimed back.

Moblit rolled his eyes at this, but held up his dominant sword arm to signal the soldiers. Jean caught sight of the signal and put his hand on the lever, getting ready to pull it.

"Come on…" he muttered quietly to the titan. "Put your head in a little more…"

As all the soldiers gathered around the top of Hanji's Titan Guillotine, eager to see its perfected form in action again, as the titan reached in further, fruitlessly trying to grab Moblit in its hands.

There were two soldiers, however, who did not join the rest of the crowd to watch the titan meet its end.

"Now's our chance, Boris," Taryn murmured under her breath.

The taller, golden-eyed soldier glanced down at her and nodded. The two silently backed away from the rest of the enraptured soldiers, glad for the distraction. No one even noticed them leaving.

Except for one.

A pair of green eyes instinctively caught Taryn and Boris' movements. Eren raised an eyebrow as he watched his sister. She shot him a pleading look and he smiled, subtly jerking his head as if to say, _Go on…I'll cover for you_.

She offered him a grin of thanks before turning around and sprinting away with Boris hot on her heels.

The two only slowed down to a walk once they managed to get off the wall and into a thicket of trees.

"Y'know," Boris began as he brushed aside tree branches from hitting his face, "one day, we're going to get caught. And then, _your_ Commander will feed me to the titans for letting you do this, and he'll be beyond pissed at you."

"But we're not doing anything wrong, Boris…not entirely, I think," she mumbled in protest, grunting in frustration as a lock of her hair got tangled in a bunch of branches.

Boris snorted at that, walking forward to help her untangle her hair. "Right…you keep thinking that, Taryn," he said, flicking her nose affectionately.

As they navigated their way along the well-worn path to Shiganshina that Captain Erwin and a group of other Garrison soldiers were working on paving, Taryn sighed.

"Okay, maybe the _way_ we're going about this is…wrong. But _what_ we're attempting to achieve can help humanity!"

"Well…regardless of what happens, I'll always stick with you, Taryn," Boris finally said, flashing a smirk at her.

Taryn couldn't help but smile back at her friend.

"Well at least we've been making some progress," she said as they reached a clearing within a large forest at the edge of Shiganshina District, and just a few minutes away from Wall Maria. "It's much better than the first time, remember?"

Boris shuddered. "Oh boy, do I…"

 _Around a month after Historia's coronation, Taryn and Boris sat together in the dining hall amidst bands of cheerful soldiers. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin sat together as usual, chattering happily. Taryn smiled at her brother's cheerful disposition. Maybe things were finally looking up._

 _"_ _He's really doing a lot to help out, isn't he?" Taryn murmured, watching her little brother proudly._

 _Boris nodded in agreement._

 _"_ _They ran a test run of the guillotine thing today- and it worked fairly well. It crushed a bit of Eren's armour shell as well, but Squad Leader Hanji said she'd fix that."_

 _His eyes wandered to Eren as well. Eren, though cheerful, looked slightly paler than normal, the dark circles under his eyes more pronounced than usual._

 _"_ _He's pushing himself too much though…" Taryn noted. "He had a nosebleed today after creating the shell three times…"_

 _"_ _I don't think he minds though," Boris stated. "As long as he's helping humanity, he seems fine with it."_

 _At this, Taryn frowned, looking down at her untouched food. She sighed and pushed her stew away from herself, her appetite gone._

 _"_ _What's wrong?" Boris asked, noticing her actions._

 _"_ _I feel…useless…"_

 _Boris cocked a slender, silver eyebrow._

 _"_ _I thought you said Yeagers weren't useless?"_

 _Taryn rolled her eyes and stood up from her seat at the table, picking up her stew and bread, dumping it in front of a grateful and thrilled Sasha before leaving the dining hall._

 _Boris frowned, concern for his small friend evident on his face._

 _Across the room, cold blue eyes followed her retreating form with unease as well. Later that night, when he slid into bed next to her sleeping body, Erwin gently pressed a kiss to her brow, which was furrowed even in her sleep, hoping that she'd open up to him in time._

o0o0o0o

 _The next day, while the soldiers worked on improving Hanji's titan destroying machine and patrolled the wall, Boris noticed Taryn sitting on the edge of the wall. Her legs dangled in the air as she swung them back and forth, her eyes glued to the horizon of titans digging through what remained of the towns within Wall Maria._

 _He settled down next to her, letting his legs hang over the wall as well. A brief mix of fear and exhilaration ran through him as he noticed how high up they were. The open mouths of titans lay below him- certain death if he lost his balance. As he shifted slightly to get more comfortable, Taryn began to speak, not moving her gaze from the titans in the distance._

 _"_ _I want to be more useful."_

 _Boris raised his eyebrows in confusion._

 _"_ _But you are being useful. You can_ control _titans, Taryn…that's way more than any of us can do."_

 _Taryn huffed and turned to face him. "But that's just it, Boris! I know I can talk to titans, and even control them…yet I have no control over my own power! It's so haphazard and random! What if the day comes where I need to use it, but I can't because I don't have a proper understanding of how far my abilities truly reach?"_

 _Boris frowned, understanding her concern._

 _"_ _Also, Erwin won't ever let me fight. If I was more useful, maybe he'd actually trust me to help with the battle!"_

 _At this, Boris remained silent. He was sure that the Commander kept her from battle because of his feelings for her rather than what she claimed, but he didn't feel like pointing that out as she probably wouldn't accept it._

 _"_ _Why don't you ask Hanji for help? She'll be more than happy to run experiments with you," he suggested._

 _Taryn shook her head._

 _"_ _I don't want to bother anyone. There's so much going on and I can't disrupt the work flow we've got going on."_

 _"_ _So…" Boris hummed, "I'm guessing you haven't talked to the Commander about this either?"_

 _Taryn blushed. Boris understood this to mean she hadn't._

 _"_ _He doesn't need to be bothered with this either. He's really focused on reaching my father's basement and he doesn't need me to distract him."_

 _"_ _Feulner! Get over here and help me saw this piece of wood!" Hanji called out._

 _Boris stood up quickly, careful to not lose his balance, and dusted off his pants._

 _"_ _You'll figure it out, Taryn. Don't stress over it," he said, ruffling her hair before departing._

 _Apparently, Taryn didn't listen to him._

 _Around an hour later, after laboriously sawing blocks of wood for Hanji, a sweaty Boris stretched and groaned at the ache that had set deeply into his muscles. As he stretched, he caught sight of Taryn's tiny form darting away from her patrol group, down the wall._

 _He groaned again, this time wearily. What was the older Yeager up to now?_

 _"_ _Can you follow her, please?"_

 _Boris turned around in surprise to see Mikasa, Eren and Armin watching Taryn run off as well. Armin gave him a small smile. "We'll cover for you. Just follow her to make sure she's alright, please?"_

 _Boris nodded wordlessly. He hadn't interacted much with many other soldiers besides Taryn. Occasionally, he spoke with Jean and the two local-simpletons- Connie and Sasha, but that was it; so he was surprised to see that the trio trusted him with Taryn._

 _"_ _I'll make sure she's safe," he promised._

o0o0o0o

 _Taryn hurried through a small hole in Wall Maria- big enough for her to squeeze through but small enough to keep the titans from entering. From there, she began to search for the forest path that led to Shiganshina. After walking for twenty minutes, she happened upon a clearing in the forest._

 _A large, singular tree stood in the center of the clearing, its roots old and gnarled as they lay on the surface of the forest floor._

 _It was here that Taryn decided to be the place where she would conduct experiments on her own abilities. She surveyed the clearing, trying to familiarize herself with it, when she heard slow but heavy footsteps behind her._

 _Swallowing fearfully, Taryn carefully turned around to see a five-metre titan standing a few feet away from her. Its dull brown eyes were fixed on her as it breathed heavily, saliva dripping from its large mouth. A thatch of messy black hair stirred in the slight breeze._

 _"_ _H-h-hello…" she whispered to it, backing up slightly, only to feel the trunk of the center tree stop her._

 _The titan didn't respond, but instead it stepped closer to her, low grunts vibrating from its throat._

 _Taryn cleared her own throat, deciding that fear would get her nowhere. She needed to test her skills out._

 _"_ _M-my name is Taryn Yeager," she began in a loud, clear voice, trying hard to keep it from wavering. "Can…can you understand me?"_

 _Nothing. No response. The breathing got heavier and the titan stepped closer. So she tried again._

 _"_ _Sit!" she commanded._

 _The titan looked at her blankly. Taryn huffed in slight frustration. Her fingers gripped tightly onto the handles of her blades._

 _"_ _I said, sit!"_

 _No movement._

 _"_ _Why won't you listen to m-!" she began to exclaim when suddenly, the titan dropped to all fours before her and leaned forward until its large nose was inches away from her face._

 _She froze, too scared to move._

 _Its warm and acrid breath swirled across her face, making her shiver in revulsion. It wasn't sitting…but it had moved._

 _Its mouth slowly opened and Taryn found herself thinking quickly. Was it going to speak? Try to communicate with her? She also couldn't shake the feeling that this titan looked very familiar to her...but she couldn't put her finger on it. Common sense was screaming at her to move away, but Taryn ignored that. Curiousity was slowly squashing fear in her mind…along with common sense._

 _The titan's mouth was opened so widely, Taryn could actually see down its throat. She shivered as she imagined the number of arms that must have tried to grab onto the slippery walls of the throat as the owners of the arms tried to escape a bleak death. Was this the view her mom got when she was eaten by the titan? What this was her father had seen when Eren had eaten him? A gaping hole of never-ending, foul-smelling darkness?_

 _Caught up in her thoughts, Taryn didn't notice the titan moving forth to close its mouth over her, until a large drop of saliva fell onto her shoulder._

 _Before she could yell or use her 3DMG to get herself away from the monster, a shout was heard and something flashed through the air. Boris. His blades glinted in the sun as he moved towards the titan to slice it's neck open-_

 _Except, the titan was quick. It stood up and caught Boris in midair, grasping him tightly in its hand. Boris yelled out in surprise and fear, struggling in vain to free himself. Taryn felt her jaw drop as the scene played out- reminding her exactly of the time Armin had almost been eaten._

 _"_ _Boris!" Taryn screamed as she watched the titan lower her friend towards its waiting mouth. "No! Stop! Don't eat him!" she shrieked._

 _As if history was replaying itself, the titan listened. It paused in its quest to devour the soldier and looked down at her expectantly. Taryn felt her body shaking. Was this how her ability worked? It only worked when she was scared? It couldn't be…_

 _"_ _Put him down," she said quietly, but with the same force as before._

 _The titan moaned but set Boris gently on the ground. Boris' knees buckled beneath him, making him fall down as he stared at the beast in shock._

 _"_ _Now, leave us," she whispered._

 _The titan cocked its head as if considering her request before turning around and walking away._

 _Not wasting a moment, Taryn immediately rushed to her friend's side, checking him over from head to toe. He was shaken but not hurt._

 _"_ _Boris! Why are you here?" she cried, flinging her arms around him in a tight hug._

 _He raised a shaky arm to pat her on the back._

 _"_ _I-it's a good thing I was, r-right?" he said with a forced laugh._

* * *

"Well it's good that we know how to handle ourselves around them now," Taryn said as they found themselves in the middle of the oh-so familiar clearing.

Once in the middle, the two used their 3DMG to sit atop the branches of the center tree, a habit they had picked up once realizing that it was much safer to deal with the titan on top of the tree than on the ground.

"Hm," Boris frowned. "He's not here already…should you call him?"

Taryn looked around and nodded. "I guess I'll have to."

She pursed her lips and let out a long, but soft, whistle. In the silence that followed, Taryn and Boris waited, their eyes scanning the surrounding area for signs of movement.

"There!" Boris whispered a few minutes later, pointing to a nearby section of the forest. Out stepped the five-metre, black- haired titan. It lumbered over to the base of the tree and looked up at the two soldiers.

"Hello," Taryn said pleasantly to the titan.

It didn't respond, as usual, but remained standing beneath them. It did however reach its arms up, trying to grasp at their legs and pull them down.

While the titan didn't actually seem to understand most of the things Taryn said to it, the two soldiers had begun to suspect that it did recognize them after a month of interacting with them. Almost every afternoon, when they made their way to the clearing, it would either be waiting for them under the tree, or it would come walking out from the forest a few minutes after they arrived.

"Do you think he'll actually listen today?" Boris asked in slight amusement.

Taryn shrugged. She was actually quite pleased with Boris. For someone who was nearly eaten by the same titan below them, he was pretty involved with her experiments and helped her out a lot.

"Regardless, we're never using ourselves as bait again," she sighed. After seeing how the titan seemed to only listen to her when she yelled out of desperation or fear, Taryn had put herself into risky situations a few times, just to see if it would work again. But it didn't. It seemed it would only work if someone else she cared about was in danger.

"Maybe we should name him?" Boris suggested.

Taryn gave him a funny look.

"What? Maybe if you develop a personal connection with him, he'll be more likely to listen? They were humans at one point after all…Maybe there's still a part of them that can identify with that human part."

"Wow, Feulner. You might be smarter than I give you credit for," Taryn said with respect.

"Why thank you, titan-girl," Boris smirked.

"So what should we name him?"

The two sat silently for a few seconds, trying to come up with a name.

"He looks a bit like horse-face, doesn't he? Name him Jean."

Taryn had to giggle at that. "That was mean, Boris..."

Boris shrugged. Taryn looked carefully at the titan's face. There was somthing so familiar... from it's hair to its eyes. There was even a smattering of uneven spots covering its cheeks and the bridge of its nose.

"Marco..." she breathed.

"Huh?"

Taryn turned to her friend. "Let's call him, Marco. He looks like an old friend of mine that died."

"Oh?" Boris responded with a frown.

"Yeah..." Taryn smiled softly.

The two continued to conduct experiments all afternoon. As Taryn spoke to the titan, issuing various commands in different tones and voices, Boris recorded everything down in a little notebook.

There were times when the titan would actually respond to Taryn, sitting down when told to, or raising its hand. But beyond simple commands like that, it didn't seem to understand anything else. It was like trying to teach a very ugly, oversized baby…with the risk of being eaten.

By dusk, Taryn and Boris were exhausted. At one point in the day, Taryn had lost her balance and had fallen from the tree branch onto the soft earth below them. With a yelp of shock, Boris had quickly darted down to the ground after her, picked her up, and pulled her back onto the safety of their tree branch. Taryn had remained mostly unhurt, except that she had slightly twisted her ankle. But that was the least of their concerns. To both of the their surprise, titan-Jean hadn't moved at all to grab either of them while they were on the ground. Instead, he had looked at them for a moment in disinterest before turning away to dig through a nearby bush.

Aside from that incident, they hadn't moved from their spot on the branch. Their backs hurt from sitting in one position for so long and they were sweaty and stiff. At this point, titan-Marco was sitting at the base of the tree, cross-legged, and looking up at the two peacefully.

"We should get back before we're missed," Taryn remarked with a yawn.

"That, plus I'm starving. We always miss out on lunch because of you," Boris complained.

Taryn rolled her eyes as Boris packed his bag, tucking their notebook carefully away. They readied their gear and stood up.

"Goodbye, Marco!" she said to the waving to the titan with a smile. Boris had raised his hand in farewell too.

The titan did nothing but continued to stare at them. Taryn chuckled slightly as the two soldiers turned to leave, flying through the canopy of branches to reach well-worn path back to Wall Maria.

However, as they left, they missed the low whine that the titan made, accompanied by a small lift of its giant hand as it dully watched their retreating figures.

* * *

By the time the two had made it back to the castle, dinner had just finished, and all of the food had been cleared away. Before Boris could whine about it though, Eren had intercepted them, providing them with two bowls of soup and two small rolls- having secretly saved them from dinner. Taryn thanked her brother, eternally grateful for his help.

He had heard about what she and Boris were doing, and surprisingly, he supported it. He believed that Taryn's abilities could be a huge asset, and as long as she remained safe, she should try to figure out how to use them fully. While Armin was a little more reserved about the idea, he would offer suggestions occasionally to help the pair out.

After a quick dinner, Boris had helped Taryn limp slowly up the stairs to her bedroom before making his way down to his own.

Taryn grabbed a washcloth from the nightstand near the bed, dipped it in a bowl of cool water and began to wash the dirt from her skin. When she reached her ankle, she hissed slightly at the pain that the pressure of touch caused it. She frowned in concern. Hopefully it wasn't something serious.

After washing herself, she donned a white shirt and loose pants to sleep in, limping across the room to lay her clothes out on a chair. She didn't hear the bedroom door open to admit the Commander.

"What's wrong with your leg?" he asked quietly.

Taryn jumped in surprise and spun around to meet the gaze of the Commander.

"Erwin! You're back, already?" she breathed, clutching her chest and ignoring his question.

Erwin cocked a thick brow and shut the door behind him.

"Already? It's quite late, Taryn…."

Taryn paused and quickly glanced out the window. The moon was high in the sky.

"Oh…right…" she chuckled. "I hadn't realized…"

The two stood in awkward silence for a while.

"Are you going to bed?" he finally asked. Taryn bit her lip. She hadn't wanted to walk in front of Erwin and reveal her limp…but not walking at all would arouse more suspicion.

"I am. I was just…taking my…time…" she said hesitantly. Even she could hear how lame that excuse had sounded.

"Right," Erwin said shortly, motioning to the bed.

Taryn sighed internally and began to walk to the bed, trying to keep her face as emotionless as possible as she walked without limping. Pain shot up her leg at ever step, but she made no noise. Erwin couldn't find out about her experiments.

Not yet.

She managed to make it to the bed and slid under the covers, gratefully removing the stress from her ankle.

"Goodnight, Erwin," she said softly.

The Commander grunted from near the door before walking across the room to the bed as well. Taryn felt his side of the bed dip down slightly as he sat on it, removing his jacket, gear, and boots. The combination of her exhaustion and the soothing effect of Erwin's familiar scent and presence had Taryn out within a few minutes.

Moments later, the Commander settled himself down next to her. He could tell something was wrong. Something had been wrong for the last month with Taryn. He was definitely sure that she was hiding something. Especially since she and Feulner seemed much closer than before- if that was even possible. They patrolled the walls together, came back to the castle together, spent their breaks together (hunched over books, muttering lowly)…

Erwin wasn't jealous, since he knew they were just friends- he had, after all, witnessed a few of Feulner's humorous attempts to flirt with different women while Taryn stood off to the side, laughing behind her hands.

But he was hurt that she had decided to trust Boris with whatever she was doing, and not him. Especially after she had promised to come to him if she ever needed help with something.

But as he listened to her gentle breathing and felt her small body snuggle up to his, he felt himself soften. He would trust her. Trust her to tell him what she was doing in her own time.

"Goodnight, Taryn," he finally sighed, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I love you."

* * *

 **UPDATED A/N (as of 6/20/16):** So if you read this chapter before the aforementioned date, then you'll notice that I changed the identity of Taryn's new titan friend- and that is for two reasons. 1) I have had a relentless longing to bring back Marco in some way, shape, or form (because I love him **too** much) 2) and also because there is an AU out there about something known as "The Gentle Titan" (aka our favourite, freckled cutie resurrected as a titan. A gentle one. Because Marco can't be mean.) As is such, he won't play that big of a role in this story, and I haven't truly resurrected him, because we all saw Marco get cremated. But this idea won't leave me alone, so I decided to incorporate it. It's up to you to decide whether or not it's truly Marco in titan form, or just a rando titan that looks like our resident freckled Jesus.

In any case- have a gorgeous picture by one of my favourite artists, Johannathemad, if you want to see what "The Gentle Titan" might look like ( **get rid of the spaces and the parentheses** ), or just google "The Gentle Titan". I don't take credit for coming up with the idea or AU or any of the art. They all belongs to their respective owners- I am just humbly borrowing these magnificent ideas:

johannathemad. (tumblr.)com/post/60027559030/what-do-you-think-of-the-gentle-titan-aka-titan


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** The characters of the Shingeki no Kyojin Universe are property of Hajime Isayama. I don't own any canon characters, plots and situations and I don't make any money from this story. I also don't own any of the songs or song lyrics used.

 **Warning:** Rated M for language, graphic violence and character deaths. Contains **spoilers** of Grisha and Carla Yeager's past as well as a sexual situation.

 **A/N:** Okay. So. *takes deep breath*

My list of excuses for late updating:

Copa América, Euro Cup, Game of Thrones finale, Silicon Valley finale, midterms for my summer courses, Suicide Squad, chapters 82, 83, 84 of Shingeki no Kyojin…and worst of all-

 **Pokémon Go.** That game has. Taken. Over. My. Life. Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Oh wait. That wasn't the worst. Chapter 84 of SnK was the worst. RIP my hopes and dreams. *goes and cries in a corner*

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I'm sorry for making you wait again! This is possibly the longest chapter I've written for this story (clocking it at 14,000+ words!), so I really hope it makes up for my tardiness. **Also, if you didn't catch it in the disclaimer part, yes, there is a sex scene at the end of the chapter**. I'm not sure if it's graphic or not (after reading a lot of lemons on this website, I've lost my ability to differentiate…oops). Hot damn, it took so long to write too! You'd think smut would be just throwing out the words "penis, vagina, thrust, etc." but nah, fam. So I do hope you enjoy it (or if not enjoy it, at least appreciate the fact that it consists of more than just the aforementioned words :D)

Also, I know some people are uncomfortable with such scenes, so I will mark the beginning and end of the section with a **o0o0o** so you can skip that scene and not miss out on the story.

Thank you to **GoldenLobmaxGirl, NachoNachoMan1992, Nina fo life, dareaderreads, 50shadesofsparkle1560,** and **Vega909** 3 You guys mean so much to me honestly because this fic wouldn't be anywhere without readers. Your words of encouragement and care are absolutely monumental and are incredibly humbling as well. Also, it was the one year anniversary of this fic in July, and I just really want to thank everyone who has stuck with this fic so far, and if you're new to it, welcome and thank you for giving it a chance! Ya'll are too good to me.

Please enjoy! (and review, favourite, or follow :D)

* * *

 **Her Story**

Chapter Seventeen: You Win Some, You Lose Some

 _"_ _I said, 'No one has to know what we do,'  
_ _His hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room  
_ _And his voice is a familiar sound,  
_ _Nothing lasts forever but this is getting good now._

 _He's so tall and handsome as hell,  
_ _He's so bad, but he does it so well.  
_ _And when we've had our very last kiss,  
_ _My last request, it is…"_

 _(Wildest Dreams- Taylor Swift)_

* * *

 _Eren ran ahead of Mikasa and Taryn, excited to see the Survey Corps return. The bells rang loudly, announcing the soldiers return._

 _"Come on, guys!" he hissed over his shoulder, urging his sister and foster sister to hurry up. Taryn grumbled while Mikasa obediently sped up. The three managed to find a pile of boxes to hoist themselves onto, giving them a clear view of the street._

 _Eren felt a thrill of awe run through him at the sight of his heroes. Then he frowned. Was this how victorious heroes were supposed to look?_

 _Bloodied. Hurt. Damaged. Broken._

 _His green eyes landed on a young, blonde man's hardened blue ones, recognizing disappointment and defeat in them._

 _He looked ahead and saw the Commander of the Survey Corps- a tall man with shaggy brown hair and a scraggly beard. Like all the other soldiers, his brown eyes were dull and empty, surrounded by deep, dark circles. He looked…familiar in a way. Like Eren had met him before._

 _The man looked up for a second, his haunted eyes meeting Eren's own…and suddenly, everything froze. Everyone froze. The horses didn't move. The villagers remained still. Eren looked to his side to see Taryn and Mikasa frozen in place._

 _"Wha-?" he began in confusion…until a flash of movement caught his eye. The brunette Commander was slowly turning his head, until his haunted eyes met Eren's own._

 _"Eren…"_

"AGHH!"

Eren shot up in bed, his chest heaving heavily as he tried to catch his breath. Sweat ran down his bare body, collecting on the sheets.

"Eren?" Mikasa asked quietly, sitting up next to him. She had always been a light sleeper, and his exclamation of fear had woken her up. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Eren shook his head, unable to speak. It wasn't a nightmare…but why did it startle him? Who was that man?

After a few minutes of regulating his breathing (and a soothing backrub courtesy of Mikasa), Eren managed to calm down. He scratched his head abashedly.

"I'm sorry for waking you up, Mikasa," he said finally.

She gave him a small, rare smile.

"It's fine. I think it makes up for all the times I wake you up," she said. While she delivered that statement with her normal, emotionless face, Eren knew her well enough and caught the underlying innuendo in it.

The tips of his ears began to burn.

"Geez, Mikasa," he groaned, nudging her shoulder slightly in embarrassment. She just shrugged and pecked him on the cheek.

"We should go back to sleep," she said, glancing out the window. There were still a few more hours until daybreak, and goodness knew that Eren needed as much as he could get.

Eren stared at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"We probably should…" he said innocently enough. "But, I mean…now that we're already awake…" His ears were still red.

Mikasa raised a thin eyebrow and smirked.

"Are you suggesting we do something else?"

"Maybe."

* * *

During breakfast, everyone was gathered in the dining hall, busy eating food and chatting with one another.

Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Sasha and Jean were all sitting at the same table. Mikasa was more pleasant than usual, an uncharacteristically light blush resting on her cheeks that refused to disappear. Jean was shooting her suspicious glances, wrinkling his nose occasionally. Eren was lost in thought, his mind continuously drifting back to the bearded man from his dreams. The man had looked so familiar…where had he seen him before?

"Hey, little brother," came a cheerful voice, accompanied by a light cuff to Eren's head.

"Urgh…hey, Taryn," Eren grumbled, rubbing the spot she had hit.

Taryn beamed and squeezed herself between Jean and Sasha, setting her cup of tea down in front of herself. Well…she called it tea, but really, it was just really hot water with the weakest tea brew ever. The only one who had magnificent tea was Levi- but the small Captain wasn't one to share his tea treasure.

"So, how's everyone doing?" she asked, picking up a slice of bread from Sasha's plate and dipping it into her tea.

"Hey-!" Sasha cried, her heart breaking at the loss of that bread slice.

Jean offered up a noncommittal grunt while Mikasa just smiled softly.

"I'm doing well, thank you, Taryn," Armin finally replied. "How are you?" he asked.

"Good, I guess," Taryn responded happily. Armin gave her a slightly curious look.

"I noticed you limping earlier. What happened to your leg?"

At this, Taryn blushed.

"Oh you know…I was with Boris and I…uh…fell out of…a tree."

"A tree? Really, Yeager?" Jean nickered with laughter. "Which one?"

"Oh didn't you know?" came a light-hearted voice from behind them. "It's the one you're always tethered to, horse-face."

At this biting remark from Boris, who had seated himself next to Armin with a smug grin on his face, Eren accidentally inhaled some water that he had been drinking, torn between coughing, laughing, and spluttering all over the table. Mikasa frowned at Boris and rubbed Eren's back soothingly as he gasped for air. Armin hid a small smile behind his hand.

"Shut up, dickhead," Jean muttered, glaring at Boris.

Boris shrugged and shared an amused look with Taryn across the table.

"In any case," Armin interrupted, a small smile still on his face, "Eren still needs to figure out who that guy in his memory was."

"Huh?" Taryn asked in confusion. She looked at her brother. "Which guy?"

"That's kind of what we're trying to figure out," Jean grunted, still smarting from Boris' remark.

"I saw some guy from the Survey Corps talking to dad in my memories…back when I was in the cave…" Eren explained. "He seems important, and I think he knows something."

"Someone in the Survey Corps, huh?" Taryn hummed. Her eyes wandered to the ceiling as she munched on her bread slice thoughtfully.

"We should speak to someone who knows pretty much everyone in the Survey Corps. I'm pretty sure they'll be able to help you find this guy. How about the Commander?" Armin suggested as he eyed the man in question who had made his appearance in the dining hall.

Taryn caught sight of him as well and felt a small feeling of disappointment when he didn't look at her. The two hadn't spoken much recently, and Taryn assumed it was because of the secret she was hiding. Her guilt plus Erwin's suspicion was starting to put a strain on their relationship. He would leave their room early in the morning, before she would even wake up, and return late at night, way after she had fallen asleep. At this point, Taryn was dying to share just a small conversation with him…a few affectionate words…maybe a small kiss.

In fact, she was so busy staring at the Commander and his frustratingly attractive blonde hair, and his stupidly pretty eyes that as she went to take another bite of bread, she completely missed her mouth, instead shoving the bread into her cheek.

"Damn!" she yelped as crumbs fell down her face.

"Smooth, Yeager," Boris said with a laugh.

"Oh shove off…" she grunted at her friend. "And nah, I'm pretty sure that Erwin doesn't know everyone," Taryn remarked dismissively, brushing the remnants of bread off her skin.

The table fell silent as all eyes were on her. The worst was her brother- his emerald eyes bore into her, akin to the searching look her mother would often give her when Taryn would return home covered in scrapes, bruises and dirt stains with the excuse of "I just tripped".

Boris discreetly shook his head at her, his eyes wide.

"You're _pretty sure_?"

" _Erwin_? You're on a first-name basis with the Commander?"

Both Eren and Jean were staring at her suspiciously.

"I-uh-no…I mean…that is-" Taryn stuttered, looking pleadingly at Boris for help.

The silver haired soldier sighed before letting out forced laughter that sounded truly ridiculous. Everyone turned to stare at him if he was crazy.

"Oh, Taryn…" he chuckled. "It looks like she might have hit her head as well as her leg when she fell from that tree. Poor thing probably has a concussion," he chortled.

Taryn raised an eyebrow at him, but gratefully accepted the excuse.

"Ahaha. Yeah…silly me. I'm still slightly confused from my fall yesterday," she said with a touch of embarrassment. She rubbed her head for added effect while shooting Boris a grateful look.

 _You owe me one_ , he mouthed to her before winking playfully. Taryn couldn't help but grin at her friend.

"Wow, Taryn. I guess you've proven that the Yeagers aren't as bull-headed as I originally thought," Jean said in amusement.

Eren glared at the boy, a growl issuing from him throat. "Insult my family one more time, horse-face. I dare you."

Jean smirked, furrowing his brow. Messing with Eren Yeager was his favourite pastime. "Fine then. The Yeagers are a bunch of-"

"Oh! You know who'd know a lot of people? Commander Shadis! He sees the new recruits every year!" Armin exclaimed, nervously trying to diffuse the tension.

It worked.

At Shadis' name, Sasha shuddered visibly, darkly remembering the torture he put her through during cadet training. Eren's eyes narrowed at the name of their old instructor, his mouth slightly ajar and his eyes glazed over.

"Yeah- maybe he could make Sasha run laps for five hours again," Jean chuckled, taking Armin's bait immediately as he turned on Sasha.

"That wasn't funny, Jean!" Sasha whined.

"Yeah it was. And you know what else was funny?" Connie said as he walked up to the table to join them. He gave Jean a high-five before he squeezed himself next to Sasha, bumping against Taryn and jostling her slightly.

"Whoops, sorry Taryn," he hummed apologetically.

Taryn, with her mouth full of bread and mind full of the Commander, shrugged nonchalantly, scooting over slightly to give him more room.

"Connie…-!" Sasha wailed pleadingly to her best friend. But Connie smirked without mercy.

"What?" Jean asked eagerly.

Connie's eyes sparkled. "When Sasha lost the cook-off to Jean!" he squawked, laughing heartily and wiping tears from his eyes. Sasha cried out with shame at the memory. Meat had let her down for the first time in her life during that cook off. It was one of the worst memories that she had ever had.

Jean, however, guffawed at the memory. Even Mikasa smiled secretly.

"Oh, hey! Remember whe-"

"Shut up, guys!" Eren suddenly shouted, slamming his hand loudly down onto the table.

Everyone quieted down immediately in shock and stared at the green-eyed boy. He was clutching his head with one hand, and his eyes were closed tightly. His lips moved soundlessly.

"Eren?" Mikasa prompted softly.

He looked up, his gaze sharp.

"After this, we're all going to visit Shadis," he announced.

Jean frowned. "Yeah…Armin already suggested that, dumbass."

Eren was so distracted that he didn't even register Jean's insult. "What? No. For a different reason," he said, shaking his head.

"And that would be because…?"

The young titan-shifter's eyes hardened as looked at his friends.

"I know who the man from my memory is."

* * *

The trip from the castle to the old cadet training barracks took over an hour. It was a fairly fun ride filled with jokes, teasing, and a bit of off-key singing from an incredibly enthusiastic Connie.

Hanji rode up ahead with Armin, acting as their certified escort. Erwin had made sure that she and Levi accompanied the kids to keep track of them on their little adventure. Levi rode at the rear of the group with Eren, the latter of whom chattered happily to the short Captain. Levi didn't say much, his face looking as irritated as usual, but he apparently had a soft spot for the young teenager given that he would have cut the throat of anyone else who would attempt to talk his ear off. Taryn didn't miss the almost imperceptible, upward curve of the Captain's lips as Eren went on and on about goodness knows what.

Connie and Sasha sang songs about food and fighting, while Mikasa rode quietly next to Boris and Taryn.

When they had finally reached the barracks, everyone was jittering with unused energy.

They managed to locate Keith Shadis. Eren's eyes widened slightly as he took in the appearance of the man, recognition clear in his gaze. This was the man he had seen in his memories. The original Commander of the Survey Corps. The man who had run into his dad. The only difference was that Shadis had apparently gone completely bald since then.

Shadis' eyes hovered over Eren and Taryn for a few moments, his expression solemn as ever. He invited all of them into his office, setting out cups of tea and water before them at a long table. Everyone took a seat at the table, with Shadis sitting at the head of it.

Taryn looked around the table and noticed one seat was empty. She twisted around in her seat to see Sasha standing against the door, refusing to move. Her forehead was covered with a thin film of sweat.

"Oi, not going to sit down, Braus?" Shadis barked.

"I'm fine where I am right now, sir!" Sasha cried while saluting.

Shadis harrumphed. "Hmm, I do remember putting you through the ringer during training," he muttered.

Sasha shuddered.

Once everyone had settled down, Shadis' gaze drifted over to the Yeager siblings who were sitting next to one another. He knew why they were visiting- it was only a matter of time.

"You have your mother's eyes and determination, Eren," he began softly. "And Taryn- I can see your father's intelligence and soft spirit in you."

Both siblings couldn't help the feelings of pride and nostalgia wash over them at their old instructor's words.

"Please tell us what you know!" Eren exclaimed, eager to hear about what Shadis' connection to their parents were.

Shadis nodded, looking tired and weary. "I can tell you as much as I know, but it may disappoint you because I don't know much," he admitted.

"We're willing to hear anything you can tell us," Taryn encouraged.

As everyone shifted in their seats, getting themselves comfortable for the story, Shadis cleared his throat and began his tale.

"It began outside the walls…"

* * *

 _Keith Shadis, newly appointed Commander of the Survey Corps, had been returning from a scouting expedition outside the walls, when he noticed a scruffy figure standing in front of the Shiganshina District gate, looking up at the sky._

 _"Who are you? How'd you get outside the wall?" he had barked at the man._

 _The man looked immensely confused. His long, black hair was greasy, his bangs falling into his teal-green eyes. He wore a dirty white, button-up shirt, and a torn pair of black pants. Shadis glanced down and saw that he wore no shoes._

 _"W-what are you doing out here?" the man countered. "Are- are you part of the fight?"_

 _Shadis furrowed his brow. Was this man ill? Heat-stricken?_

 _"We're part of the Survey Corps," he explained._

 _At this the man looked confused. "The what corps?"_

 _"Y-you don't know who we are?"_

 _The strange man shook his head._

"So then we had to put your father in jail for the night as it was a crime at that time, and still is I believe, to enter titan territory without permission," Shadis explained.

Taryn and Eren's mouths were agape at this knowledge of their dad. He truly had been hiding more secrets that originally thought.

Shadis continue to speak about how they had released Grisha Yeager from prison shortly after, and how he had helped him get a job as a doctor. Grisha was so smart and so good at his profession that he had ended up saving a majority of the Shiganshina population from a deadly virus that had taken over it. He had discovered the cure.

And that's how he got close to Carla. Other than being a bar wench who had served him his drinks occasionally, she had also turned into one of his patients. During the time she spent as his patient, the two had fallen in love- a painful occurrence to Shadis who had also loved Carla.

So while Shadis was outside the walls battling titans and searching for hope, Grisha Yeager had swooped in and stolen the heart of the young bar wench, claiming her as his through marriage.

"After that point, I threw myself entirely into my work," Shadis admitted sadly. "We worked to improve the way we went on expeditions and doubled our efforts in the field. In fact, a young man had an entirely new strategy written up in the margins of a book of his. He told me to use it constantly, but I never listened." Shadis paused, his eyes glazing over with distant memories. "I'm glad he uses them for expeditions today."

Taryn smiled slightly. So Shadis was referring to Erwin in the days before he became Commander. She made a mental note to ask Erwin about it later on. Maybe it would be a good opening for a much-needed conversation between the two.

"After I realized my efforts as Commander were useless, I left. I came here to the barracks to train our future generations."

"Why did you leave, sir?" Eren whispered.

Shadis rubbed his forehead tiredly.

"I learned something in those days, Eren. I learned that special people do exist."

He closed his eyes.

"I just wasn't one of them."

The room was silent after those words.

Shadis took a deep breath. "Taryn. Eren. Your mother was adamant that you two were the most special people in the land. I still remember her telling me that…"

 _After another useless expedition with a high death toll, Commander Shadis walked down the streets with his head held low. Until he heard a soft, familiar voice._

 _"Keith?"_

 _He looked up to meet the beautiful eyes of his unrequited love. Carla Yeager. But she wasn't alone. Down, next to her, was a little girl with curly black hair. The girl clutched tightly onto Carla's skirts, her brown eyes carefully regarding the Commander. In Carla's arms was a little, chubby boy with chocolate brown hair, and the most stunning emerald eyes. He was currently concentrating on pulling at a few loose strands of his mother's hair and sucking them into his mouth with his pudgy fingers._

 _"C-Carla," he said in slightly disbelief. "Who are these-?" he motioned to the children._

 _"They're my children, Keith," she said with a lovely smile. "Taryn, my daughter, and Eren, my son."_

 _Ah yes. He could see the resemblance now._

 _"She looks just like Grisha," he said with a sad smile as he looked at the little girl. His eyes shifted to the baby boy. "And this one's just as beautiful as you…"_

 _Carla smiled._

Shadis' face had softened while he recounted his story of Carla, but it suddenly darkened as he remembered more.

"I had shouted at your mother. Told her that she was ordinary and not worth greatness. Told her that you two would never amount to anything great either…" Regret washed over his features. "I didn't mean it. It was the angry rambles of a bitter man who watched as the world crashed and burned and as the love of his life slipped through his fingers."

Both siblings felt immense pity for the man before them.

"But you know what she told me?" he said with a humourless chuckle. "She smiled at me and said…"

 _"…It's alright if neither of them become great people. Why do they need to be better than everyone else?" She looked down at both her children with love in her eyes. "My children are already great, Keith."_

Taryn felt silent tears run down her cheek. Twin tears fell down Eren's cheeks as well.

 _Commander Shadis was stunned as he watched Carla kiss Eren on the cheek and stroke her daughter's hair with her free hand. Then she turned her gaze up to him, determination, love and happiness clear in her eyes._

With a soft sniffle, Taryn leaned her head on her brother's shoulder, and under the table, he gripped her hand tightly in his own.

 _"After all," Carla laughed, "they were born into this world."_

* * *

After that, Shadis had continued to tell them his story. He told them about how after the fall of Wall Maria, Grisha had come storming through safe houses to find his children. After hearing of his wife's death, he had silently taken Eren and Taryn into a nearby forest. Shadis hadn't seen what had happened in the forest, but he had seen a flash of lightning, and two unconscious children in the spot where lightning had struck.

Grisha Yeager hadn't been there.

"And that's all I know," Shadis finally concluded.

It was like being sharply snapped out of a dream.

Everyone suddenly jumped slightly as if they had forgotten where they were. They had all been sucked into Shadis' story.

"That's it?" Hanji said, annoyance tingeing her tone.

Shadis nodded.

"And you withheld all of that for how many years now?" she yelped. With a growl, she stood up suddenly, slamming her hands down onto the table. "Instead of facing reality and owning up to your mistakes, you hid out here to train cadets to escape from that reality!" she accused him.

Shadis flinched but didn't protest.

"Squad Leader," Eren said quietly. "Please stop. It won't help to get mad at him now."

Still growling, but also quieted by Levi's intense glare, Hanji settled down into her seat again.

"We're going to have to report this, Keith," Levi said as he made to stand up.

Shadis nodded dejectedly.

Everyone else rose and quickly filed out of the room, muttering lowly. Taryn thought she heard Levi say to Hanji, "Didn't you have a crush on him at one point, Shitty Glasses?"

Hanji furiously _shh!_ 'ed him before they all left.

Taryn and Eren lingered behind.

"Thank you, for telling us everything, Instructor Shadis," Taryn said, inclining her head respectfully. Eren nodded in agreement with his sister.

"There's nothing to thank me for," Shadis rumbled. "Just please," he began, his dark eyes imploring them. "…please don't think too badly of me," he whispered.

Taryn and Eren offered him twin smiles.

"We would never, sir," Eren said. With a final bow of their heads, both siblings walked to the door to leave.

"Goodbye, Instructor Shadis," they said in unison.

A small, genuine smile appeared on the strict man's mouth.

"Please, call me Keith."

And with that, they left behind their last connection, aside from each other, to their dead parents. Behind the closed door, Keith Shadis sighed sadly as the siblings left.

They were his last connection to Carla and Grisha Yeager as well.

* * *

The ride back seemed to pass by slower than the ride to the barracks. Eventually, the troupe reached the castle. Hanji and Levi immediately left the group to go and meet with the Commander and some other officials to make their report.

Meanwhile, Taryn and Boris volunteered to lead the horses back to the stables. Hearing no protests from their comrades, the duo realized quite quickly that two people trying to deal with seven horses was no easy feat.

As the two struggled to lead all seven horses back to the stables while making sure than none of them ran off, a thought occurred to Taryn.

"It'd be so much easier if titan-Marco was here to help us," she giggled.

"I still think we should have named him after Jean," Boris said ruefully. "He could probably carry four of them in just his hands alone!"

"I could carry four of what?"

Taryn and Boris spun around to see the human Jean walking up to them, a scowl on his face as per usual.

"Erm, pardon?" Taryn asked innocently.

"I heard you guys say my name. And then you said I could carry someone?"

"What are you doing here, Jean?" Boris asked, trying to steer the topic away from the boy's question.

Jean stared at the two suspiciously. "Your idiot brother forced me to come back and help you," he sneered at Taryn.

Taryn grinned. Her brother really did try to look out for her in different ways. Either that or he just really wanted to piss Jean off. She knew he wasn't above doing the latter.

"Well, then help us," she said, handing him the reins of two horses.

"Sure, sure. But tell me what you guys were saying about me earlier," he complained as he followed behind them.

Taryn shot Boris a furtive look. Boris smiled and mouthed, _I got this_.

He turned his head slightly to shout back at Jean. "We were talking about how big of a help you'd be in leading the horses back since they'd think you're their leader and then they'd follow you back to the stables without a problem."

Taryn couldn't help the howl of laughter that escaped her as Jean spluttered in anger, unable to spit out a comeback to the silver-haired, and apparently _silver-tongued_ , soldier.

"He's not wrong though, Jean!" she crowed as tears of laughter clouded her eyes. The horses nickered and whinnied as well, as if laughing along with the two soldiers.

"Shut the fuck up, Yeager!"

* * *

After depositing the horses, Taryn thanked Boris, and took off into the castle, eager to see Erwin and talk to him. There was only a day left until their departure for the newest mission, and she wasn't about to let the two of them risk their lives without talking properly. Maybe she'd even tell him about titan-Marco and her attempts to hone her abilities. The thought put a slightly nervous, but genuine, smile on her face.

She caught sight of Hanji and a few other soldiers and officials walking out of a room. Hanji spotted her as well.

"Oh, Taryn!" she exclaimed.

"Hi, Hanji. How'd the meeting go?" Taryn asked, peering over the woman's shoulder at the shut door.

"It went…well, I guess." The scientist noticed Taryn's fidgeting and smiled indulgently. "The Commander is still speaking with Captain Levi, so you may have to wait a little bit. They're in Erwin's office, so you can hang out in the meeting room outside his office."

"Thanks, Hanji," Taryn said gratefully.

She slipped into the meeting room, picking out one book from the many that lay scattered on the table's surface. She flipped through the pages idly, settling herself down on a nearby chair to wait. Twenty minutes had passed when she suddenly heard shouting coming from the Commander's office. It sounded like Captain Levi was angry.

She stiffly got up from her chair and crept near the closed door, catching a bit of their conversation.

" _Shut up, Erwin. Give me one more noble-sounding excuse and I'll breaking your shitty legs_ ," Levi growled. He paused before continuing thoughtfully. " _Then again, if I did break your legs, then you wouldn't be able to take part in Operation Take Back Wall Maria…_ "

At this, Erwin began laughing quite hard. " _Yes_ ," he chuckled, " _it_ would _make things more difficult_."

Even Levi chuckled a bit.

" _But_ ," Erwin continued, his voice sobering up, " _I need to be there, Levi. I need to be there, at that basement, when we discover the truth to the world_."

" _Is this really that important to you_?" Levi asked. Even Taryn could hear the disbelief colouring his tone. " _More important than your legs_?"

" _Yes._ "

" _More important than humanity's victory_?"

" _Yes, Levi_."

Levi paused before continuing in a softer tone.

" _More important than Taryn Yeager?_ "

Silence. Taryn suddenly felt a sharp pain in her hand, and looked down to see that her hands were curled so tightly into fists that her nails had begun to cut into her skin. She hadn't even realized how sucked into the conversation she had been. Why wasn't Erwin answering, she thought in a panic. Did she really not mean that much to him?

His next words answered that for her.

" _Please don't make me choose, Levi._ "

With a sharp, painful breath and tears stinging the corner of her eyes, Taryn turned around and left. Her earlier desire to see the Commander was completely gone. She had wanted to fix things between them…maybe even come clean to him about her secret activities…but not anymore.

As she fled the meeting room, slamming the door shut behind her, she heard Levi's last few words.

" _I see, Erwin. I'll put my faith in you_."

That was more than Taryn could say for him.

* * *

The two men looked up sharply at the sound of a loud noise. Erwin cocked his eyebrow at Levi questioningly, but Levi shook his head, as clueless as Erwin was. They both stood up and walked to the door of the meeting room, peering curiously around it.

"Someone was here?" Erwin remarked quietly.

"Probably just Hanji. You know how airheaded she is…probably forgot a few books or something."

"Of course," Erwin said, just a tinge of uneasiness reflected in his voice.

As they exited the room to walk down the hallway, they looked around once more. No one was there. Erwin shook his head to clear it. It probably just was Hanji in the room…although goodness knows why she'd slam the door shut so loudly.

"Are you going down for dinner?" Levi asked the taller man.

Erwin thought for a minute and opened his mouth to say "no" when Levi huffed.

"When was the last time you even ate, Shitty Eyebrows?"

Erwin frowned. "Yesterday?"

The short captain rolled his eyes. "You've been so obsessed with that damned basement, you've even neglected to eat. You're coming down with me now to pick up at least a small bowl of soup to eat…"

The Commander sighed in defeat and reluctantly followed Levi down into the dining room.

It was crowded as usual, but more chaotic. Apparently, in order to celebrate their last night of free time before they wandered out into the dangerous operation of reaching the Yeagers' basement, the commanding officers had brought out the rare, luxury meal of meat. The soldiers were going berserk for the food.

Levi was surveying the scene with mild horror, watching as Sasha actually started gnawing on Connie's arm and then turned to punch Mikasa in the chest. With an irritated grunt, he walked through the chaos and knocked Sasha out before tying her to a nearby pillar.

Erwin laughed slightly. Although it was crazy in the dining hall, he was glad to see that the soldiers were enjoying themselves and smiling. Even Eren and Jean, who had apparently been fighting given the fresh bruises and cuts that covered their faces and knuckles, were happily partaking in their fresh meals.

His thick eyebrows furrowed though when he noticed an empty spot next to Boris Feulner. The curly mass of black hair that could normally be found next to the silver-haired soldier was nowhere to be found. Where was Taryn? Erwin would have expected her to be with everyone else on their last night together, celebrating and being happy. Apparently Boris was thinking the same thing as his golden eyes kept surveying the room, looking for his best friend. A small frown was on his lips.

The uneasiness he had felt before returned at full force. Maybe she was in their room, sleeping already? Erwin turned and hastily walked up the stairs to their shared bedroom, flinging the door open. His blue eyes were met with an empty bed and an empty room.

 _Where was she? Why would she run off suddenly like this?_

Was it because they hadn't been talking recently? He would admit that he had been behaving childishly by avoiding her for the most part, since he was slightly peeved that she wasn't telling him what she was up to…but why would she go missing because of that?

Then something clicked in his head. Oh no. Was it possible that she was the one in the room earlier? Had she overheard his conversation with Levi?

It was the only explanation that made sense. His recent coldish behaviour with her plus his answer to Levi about her…damn.

With mounting anxiety, Erwin ran back downstairs and quickly sought out Boris. The young soldier looked surprised to see his commanding officer storming determinedly towards him.

"Feulner, where is Taryn?"

Erwin wasted no time bothering with greetings.

Boris' eyes widened in confusion.

"S-she's not with you, sir?"

The Commander shook his head and jumped straight to the point. "I know you know where she would be, Feulner, so please don't insult my intelligence, and just tell me where she is."

The young man paled slightly, hesitating. In the end, it seemed as if his concern for his best friend's welfare outweighed his need to keep her secret.

"Well if she's not with you… the she's probably outside the wall," he muttered quietly.

A vein popped out near Erwin's temple.

"She's-where?" he breathed.

Boris took a deep breath. "Outside the wall…w-with…erm…" The boy stuttered a bit.

"With whom, Feulner?" Erwin said through gritted teeth.

"A-a titan," the boy whispered.

Erwin thought his heart stopped right on the spot. First, anger coursed through him. What the hell was she doing with a titan outside the walls? Was she suicidal? Panic soon followed. Was she all right? Was she doing this because of him?

"I'm going after her. Don't tell anyone, Feulner. If I don't return within an hour, then you have permission to tell Captain Levi everything. Got it?"

The boy hurriedly shook his head and watched with concern as the Commander stalked off quickly.

Due to the chaos in the dining room, no one noticed him leave.

* * *

Taryn took deep breaths of the night air, finding it refreshing. It really helped clear her mind, although it did little to soothe her aching heart. So her father's basement really meant more to the Commander than she did? She didn't know why she was so surprised. This was Erwin Smith she was talking about- the man who left his previous fiancé to fight titans.

Taryn groaned. Why had she thought that she was any different in his eyes?

It didn't take very long for her to sneak through that small hole in the wall and wander into the surrounding forest. She carefully ducked under the protruding branches since there was no Boris to help her if her hair got caught on one again. She briefly wondered if Boris had noticed that she was missing.

When she reached the edge of the familiar clearing, she used her 3DMG to soar into the center tree and then, she waited. Within minutes, a low, thundering set of footsteps echoed from within the depths of the forest. Taryn smiled softly when a large, frightening face appeared from between two trees. The titan slowed down to a blundering walk as he made his way towards her.

"Hey there," she said.

The titan did not respond, but instead just situated itself below Taryn's branch, sitting peacefully and looking up at her.

"Do you know who I am, Marco?" she asked curiously, making sure to use the name Boris and she had christened the creature.

The titan cocked its head to the side, his eyes glued to her as a few raspy huffs escaped its mouth.

Taryn blinked in surprise. So far, the titan had listened to her commands a few times, but it had never attempted to communicate with her.

"Y-you recognize me, then?" she stuttered.

He made no sound this time, content to just look up at her and blink a few times.

Taryn sighed. Maybe she had been expecting too much.

"You know, everyone would think I'm crazy for trying to train a titan…" she mumbled to the creature below her. It listened passively as she rambled on. "Heck, I think I'm crazy for doing this. But it's because I want to make a difference, y'know? Eren, my brother," she paused to explain to the titan, "can beat up titans, fix the wall, and do a ton of things. Mikasa is fantastic at fighting. Jean's a good leader. Armin's smart. But what am I?"

When titan-Marco didn't respond, Taryn sighed. "Right. I'm useless. I can't even get a titan to listen to my commands consistently."

Titan-Marco huffed again, his eyes shifting to the edge of the forest. Taryn continued entrusting all her secrets and fears to titan-Marco, not really caring if he understood anything. Recently, her only entrusted friend had been Boris, but somehow, she felt more comfortable telling a titan all of this stuff. Maybe it was because he couldn't tell anyone about it?

Meanwhile, a low whine left the titan's throat as his eyes scanned the clearing. He stuck his nose up to sniff the air and released a low grunt followed by another whine.

Finally, these noises caught Taryn's attention, pulling her away from her ranting. She looked down to see that the titan wasn't looking up at her. She followed his gaze to the shadowy forest but saw nothing.

"What's wrong?" she whispered to him.

He looked back up at her and blinked, huffing quietly. Distress rolled off of the small titan in strong waves.

 _Why is he anxious_? she wondered curiously.

"If only you could speak," she sighed. "Or tell me what's going on in that head of yours somehow…" Taryn rested her head back against the thick tree trunk, closing her eyes for a few moments. Titan-Marco quieted down below her.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. A wonderful, yet incredibly stupid and dangerous thought. When she had touched Reiner and Annie, she had been able to peek into their thoughts…their pasts. Would it be the same with regular titans?

There was only one way to find out.

She peered down at the quiet titan to see that he had shifted. He was now mimicking her resting position, opting to lean his back against the tree truck with his legs stretched out in front of him. His hands were neatly placed atop his stomach. Taryn winced as she tried not to think of how many innocent people had possibly taken residence inside that stomach. Titan-Marco may have been more docile than usual, but that could also be because it was nighttime and titans generally "powered down", so to speak, at night.

It was now or never.

Taking a deep breath, Taryn settled herself into a crouch, and gently lowered herself onto the ground with her 3DMG, a few feet away from the sitting titan. Titan-Marco made no move to get up, but he did turn his head to watch her- those large, brown eyes tracking her every move.

"Hey," she whispered. While she seemed calm on the outside, in truth she felt like she was experiencing a hundred heart attacks on the inside. She raised her arms up in front of her as universal sign of surrender. She wasn't sure if the titan would understand that, but it made her feel better.

If only a little better.

"Don't move," she commanded quietly but as firmly as she could. She was ninety-eight percent sure that this was one of those times when the titan would ignore her command, but she gritted her teeth and moved forward in any case.

Eren had said that life was about taking risks and dying for them…or was that Erwin? Armin maybe? She shook her head to clear it. It didn't matter.

Titan-Marco blinked and continued to stare at her as she inched closer and closer to him. She was holding her breath, afraid that any noise or sudden movement would set the titan off and result in her unfortunate death.

Finally, she found herself standing right in front of him, her fingertips centimeters from his large nose. If she weren't downright terrified at the moment, she would have been amused to see the titan's eyes go nearly cross-eyed trying to keep track of her fingers.

"Can I touch you?" she breathed, not taking her eyes off the giant. "Can you show me your thoughts?"

The titan opened its mouth and jerked back slightly. Saliva dripped from its chapped lips. The stench of death flew out from its maw, making Taryn grimace, but she stood her ground.

"Please?" she whispered.

Miraculously, the titan held still. Taryn shut her eyes tightly and left her hand outstretched. She heard the titan shift around. While desperately praying that this wouldn't be her last moment alive, Taryn felt something leathery and hot brush against the palm of her hand.

Gasping, she opened one eye to see that the titan was gently nudging her hand with its large nose.

"Oh my goodness," she wheezed, too terrified to move.

After a few moments passed, during which the titan neither ate nor maimed her, Taryn moved her hand slightly forward to caress the titan's nose more. The skin was rough and it felt like touching a boiling pot of water. Her fingers trembled.

With no time to lose, Taryn made eye contact with the titan.

"Show me," she breathed.

* * *

Erwin hadn't even realized that he had been holding his breath for a period of time. His uninjured hand was gripping the handle of his 3DMG blade tightly, his fingers trembling slightly as he watched the scene playing out before him.

What the hell was this girl doing…?!

He almost yelled out and began springing to her when she neatly slid off the tree branch and onto the ground next to the titan leaning against the tree trunk. But he stopped himself when he noticed that the creature didn't make any move to hurt her. In fact, it was just looking at her calmly.

Taryn was quietly murmuring something to it, but her voice was too low for Erwin to hear. The titan seemed to be listening though.

There were so many questions and emotions running through Erwin at the moment, but the one thing that Erwin was sure of was that he wanted to grab Taryn and get her out of there as soon as possible. The only issue was that he was so scared of making a sudden movement and provoking the beast into hurting Taryn. It seemed calm at the moment, and he didn't want to change that. He silently willed Taryn to step away from the titan while it was still peaceful. Of course, she didn't listen.

As if to make things one hundred times more stressful for him, Erwin watched as Taryn stretched her arm out towards the titan, her fingertips only inches away from its gaping mouth. Then she closed her eyes and waited.

The Commander's heart was in his throat at this point. She was trying to get herself killed- there was no other explanation. He was ready to step in and pull her out of there. He had already lost a hand…she didn't need to lose one as well.

Right as he was about to step out, his blue eyes widened in astonishment when he watched the titan grunt softly before leaning forward and pressing the tip of its large nose against the palm of her hand. Taryn was apparently surprised as well as her brown eyes popped open. She slowly moved her hand, petting the titan. It seemed to enjoy the attention.

A small smile spread over her lips, and she whispered something else to the titan. With an affirmative huff (or at least that's what it seemed like from Erwin's perspective), the titan slowly slid its eyes shut. Taryn followed suit.

Erwin's eyes traveled over Taryn's still form as he felt a small amount of admiration run through him. So this is what she had been up to all this time? Making friends with a titan? He couldn't help but smile wryly. This was so…Taryn… She was definitely a Yeager through and through.

As the girl and her titan remained in their peaceful trance, Erwin let his gaze wander around the clearing. Now that he was here, it wasn't hard to imagine Taryn coming here everyday, flanked by her friend, in order to train a titan. It seemed a little crazy, but at the same time, it made sense. If she could figure out how to consistently communicate with and control titans, she and Eren could be the key to freeing humanity from its iron chains.

But then something shook him, literally, from his thoughts. The ground beneath him was rumbling. After almost two decades of being in the military and fighting titans, Erwin was well accustomed to the familiar footsteps of an incoming titan. This one was blonde with empty grey eyes. The actual titan running out of the trees and into the clearing didn't scare him- the fact that it was running straight towards an oblivious Taryn was what scared him.

She and her titan were so caught up in whatever they were doing that neither sensed the perilous presence running straight for them. Erwin sprinted out from his spot behind the trees.

"TARYN!" he yelled, hoping to snap her out of her trance.

It worked. She opened her eyes and pulled her hand away from the titan's nose. The titan's eyes also flew open. Immediately, whines of distress reverberated through its throat.

"Oh my goodness," she whispered as she watched the new, five metre titan lumber towards them. She was too frozen with shock to react as the new titan reached its arm out to grab her. Before it could touch her though, she felt something wrap around her waist- and suddenly, she was flying through the air and landing roughly on her tree branch.

"Taryn, are you alright?" Erwin gasped as he swung his leg over the branch to steady himself.

"E-Erwin?" she breathed. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you. I should have known that you were putting yourself in danger somewhere," he sighed, pulling her against him in a crushing hug.

"But-" before Taryn could finish her sentence, a large crash shook the tree. Erwin pulled back from Taryn and looked down to see the blonde titan bumping its body against the tree while looking up at the two soldiers. Taryn's titan was standing off to the side, watching the events with its dull eyes, and possibly awaiting orders. Or perhaps it was waiting for the two to fall off so it could indulge in a meal.

You could never tell with a titan.

"Taryn! Use your gear to secure yourself- ARGH!"

Just as Erwin managed to relay his instructions to Taryn, another hit to the tree caused Erwin to lose his balance. He desperately tried to cling onto the tree branch with his fingers, but it wasn't enough. The rough bark chipped into his skin, causing drops of blood to fall down his hand and into the open mouth of the waiting titan below.

"ERWIN!" Taryn shrieked, moving forward to grasp his hand. But she was stopped short by her gear. Immediately she began to fumble with her harnesses and Erwin saw what she was doing.

"Don't, Taryn! Stop!" he yelled even though he knew it was useless. There was no stopping Taryn once she got something in her mind.

"Hold on, Erwin! Please!" she cried as she continued to undo all her buckles to release herself.

He couldn't hold on though. He was a strong man, but the weight of his gear added to his already large body heft was too much for his one arm to support. It was too bad he didn't have his other arm, he thought wryly. It would have been useful.

Sweat trickled down his brow.

The blonde titan never lost its grin as it ran into the tree once more, causing Erwin's hand to slip. Taryn shrieked as she finally managed to free herself of her gear and launched forward to grip his hand…only to miss it by a few centimeters.

It wasn't a long way to the titan below. As Erwin fell, his eyes remained fixed on Taryn- her face a perfect picture of horror as she watched the man she loved fall to his death. But as he concentrated on her features- the brow eyes glistening with tears, the tanned skin that had turned pale with fright, and the pink lips moving with urgency- the sound of the world around him was muted. He didn't shut his eyes though.

If there was one face he wanted to see before dying, it was hers.

He readied himself. He was ready to fall into the gaping black hole of the titan's mouth. Ready to accept death, and the weight of his sins, and responsibility for the lives he had sent to their deaths. He was ready to die alone.

But even as he fell, he felt the heavy regret of not being able to see what was in the basement. He felt the regret of not spending time with Taryn over the past few days- instead choosing to avoid her for reasons that seemed silly now.

As he took a last breath of fresh air, he got ready to feel the pain of being crushed between giant teeth.

* * *

Taryn's fingers only grasped empty air as Erwin's hands slipped away from her.

There he was. Falling into the mouth of the blonde titan.

But as he fell, those icy blue eyes never left hers for one second. She could see acceptance in his eyes. Acceptance of his miserable fate.

The only issue was that Taryn hadn't accepted his death yet- nor would she ever.

Mind moving quickly, Taryn decided that without her gear, there was no way she could jump after him and pull him up to safety. Her eyes darted around, urgently searching for a solution of some kind, until she spotted one. A large one.

"Marco!" she cried, hoping- no, _praying_ \- that the titan would listen to her. The titan blinked slowly. "Catch him! Catch Erwin, NOW!"

The titan didn't move. It's eyes shifted down to look at the blonde titan for a moment before looking back up at her.

"MARCO! PLEASE!" she yelled frantically.

* * *

Erwin could smell the rotting stench of death surround him. It was time. He finally closed his eyes, preferring not to witness the titan's mouth close over him and cut him off from the rest of the world.

No one ever wants to watch their own ending, after all.

So he closed his eyes and waited for certain death to come. Except it didn't.

Instead, he felt himself fall onto something hard, yet burning hot. It wasn't wet like the inside of a mouth though.

"RUN, MARCO, RUN!"

Erwin opened his eyes in surprise at the familiar voice and was met with a strange turn of events. First of all, he was lying down on the palm of Taryn's titan…that she had apparently named after a long-since deceased cadet… Ignoring the absurdity of that thought for a moment, Erwin sat up and saw that the blonde titan was still standing in front of them, analyzing them curiously.

"LET'S GO, MARCO!" came another shout from above. Erwin looked up just in time to watch Taryn jump out from the tree- straight onto her titan's broad shoulder. She nearly lost her grip, but managed to swing herself onto his shoulder, holding onto his fleshy earlobe to steady herself.

"Run! RUN!"

The titan calmly began to run away from the tree- away from the clearing- away from the blonde titan. But that blonde titan wasn't content with losing its meal, so it pursued. Erwin watched with mild awe as Taryn looked over her shoulder to see the blonde titan running after them, its mouth opening and shutting eagerly. Spittle flew from its lips.

Taryn leaned towards the titan's ear.

"Take us straight to the wall, Marco," she commanded clearly, although Erwin could hear the fear in her voice.

The titan never broke his stride and delivered them quickly to a spot around thirty feet away from the wall. Without pausing, he gently set the two soldiers down onto the grass before turning around.

"What's he doing?" Taryn wondered as titan-Marco walked forward towards the blonde titan.

"Doesn't matter. We need to move, now," Erwin commanded. He threw his arm over her shoulders and the two began to run haltingly to the wall. Taryn's injured ankle was still bothering her and hurt as she ran, but with adrenaline pumping through her combined with Erwin's support, she managed to run. Behind them, they could hear roaring as the two titans clashed. Gruesome, wet-crunching noises reached their ears. Taryn wanted to turn around so badly and see her titan, but Erwin wouldn't let her stop.

When they finally made it to the wall and managed to scramble through the hole, Taryn turned around and watched as the blonde titan ripped the right arm off of titan-Marco.

"No!" she cried, reaching a hand out. But what could she do to help her titan? She couldn't bring him through the wall. And she couldn't go back to help him. His mournful whines hurt her heart.

So all she could do was stand by and watch as the titan- the only titan she had ever formed a bond with- got ripped to pieces.

Erwin could see her emotional suffering. He gently urged her to turn away from the battle scene.

"Let's go back."

* * *

It was silent as the two soldiers slowly limped back to the castle. Not a word was exchanged between them. What was there to say?

So many things had happened…where would they even begin?

They entered the castle through the back, hoping to avoid the curious eyes of many. Luckily, Boris was waiting outside their bedroom door, frantically pacing back and forth. When his golden eyes fell on his best friend, he let out a cry of relief and ran forward to embrace her.

"You're okay…You're okay…" he breathed happily.

Taryn managed to smile. "I'm fine, Boris," she said as she pulled back and patted his cheek.

The sound of Erwin clearing his throat behind them made them break apart.

"Commander! Thank you for bringing her back, sir," Boris said with a small salute.

Taryn distantly registered the fact that it was probably Boris who told Erwin where she was and what she had been up to, but she could hardly get mad at him for that. She probably would have been dead if not for him.

Erwin nodded silently.

"What happened out there?" Boris asked in a subdued voice as he took into account the damage between the two. Erwin's arm was bleeding, Taryn had a shallow cut on her forehead, and her injured leg was quivering slightly.

The Commander looked down at Taryn and caught sight of her tired expression.

"Feulner, I believe it would be in Miss Yeager's best interest to get some rest right now. She can speak with you tomorrow morning."

Boris looked at Taryn and hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Of course, sir." He pressed a light kiss to her forehead, taking her by surprise and making the Commander narrow his eyes slightly. "Goodnight, Taryn."

Taryn offered him a sincere smile. She felt warmed by the thought that her friend was truly concerned about her wellbeing.

"Oh and Feulner?" Erwin said as the young man walked away from them. Boris turned around.

"Yes, Commander?"

"Please send Hanji to our room as soon as you can. And don't let anyone else know about this."

Boris nodded and raced off to find the scientist.

With a silent groan, Erwin pushed their room door open and ushered Taryn in before him. The two walked in and collapsed on the floor from exhaustion almost immediately.

* * *

"WAH! CORPSES! Oh no…what am I going to do? Where's Moblit when I need him…he knows how to hide dead bodies…"

"Ugh- Hanji," Erwin groaned, clutching his forehead and wincing with pain at the movement.

Taryn struggled to sit up off the floor. She watched as the scientist bounded into their room, loudly slamming the door shut behind her. Her arms were filled with various medical products.

"We're not dead yet, Hanji," Taryn managed to joke.

Hanji sighed in relief and grinned.

"Good, because I wasn't sure where I'd hide your bod- I mean I'm glad you aren't dead!."

Erwin raised an eyebrow, choosing not to question her statement. "Indeed. Can you please tend to our injuries, Hanji? Before we both pass out from blood loss?"

Hanji snorted and seated herself on the floor next to the two soldiers. She didn't ask any questions about the origin of the injuries, which was incredibly surprising. Taryn suspected that Boris had either told the scientist not to ask, or he had briefed her on what may have happened. Either way, it didn't matter to Taryn.

As Hanji tended to Erwin, she sent Taryn to the washroom to wash up and clean herself. She then sent Erwin to get washed up as she dressed Taryn's wounds. It was pure bliss to feel Hanji cleaning her shallow cuts and rewrapping her sprained ankle.

After she had finished up, she gave each of them a warm cup of tea (courtesy of her best friend, Captain Levi, she said smugly), a slobbery kiss on the forehead, and then left.

The two soldiers situated themselves comfortably on their bed. The soft sheets and pillows were heaven to their sore, aching muscles.

"Let's talk," the Commander finally said, breaking the silence in the room.

Taryn sighed and nodded. It was inevitable. They needed to talk.

"What were you doing out there…and why?" he said, starting off the conversation.

"I was trying to work on controlling my abilities. I have been doing that for the past month or two. I wanted to be useful," she admitted quietly.

"But, Taryn. As useful as that may have been, do you realize how incredibly stupid and dangerous that was? You were putting your life on the line every day for..for what?" he growled. He could feel frustration slowly building up in him as he continued speaking. "You could have died!"

At this, Taryn turned to glare at him. How many times had they had this same argument?

" _I_ could have died? _Me_? So what! I was doing something I felt was important! It was something I felt like was worth risking my life," she retorted petulantly.

"How is that worth risking your life for?" he asked between gritted teeth.

"How is a BASEMENT worth dying for? Why am I not worth living for?" she yelled back.

Erwin looked like he had been slapped in the face.

Taryn immediately closed her mouth and looked away guiltily. She hadn't wanted him to know that she had overheard his discussion with Levi.

She heard him sigh.

"So…you heard that earlier?"

Taryn nodded slowly.

"Was that why you've been ignoring me for the past few days? Because you care more about my father's basement than me?"

Erwin felt himself deflate. He set his cup of tea down on the nightstand at his bedside and moved closer to Taryn.

"No, that isn't it at all. I was being…foolish. Please forgive me," he quietly begged.

Taryn sniffled. "Of course I forgive you. But it still hurts," she said. She set her cup down as well and looked up at him. "Why couldn't you answer Captain Levi's question?"

He lifted his injured hand and gently brushed her hair from her face.

"You're important to me, Taryn," he muttered. "I'm ready to die for you, if that's what it takes to keep you alive. But…look at it from my perspective…"

Taryn nodded.

"My father was killed when I was younger…because he knew something about the titans. Whatever information he knew, he wasn't supposed to know it. And now, it's possible that that information is lying there in _your_ basement."

He paused and leaned down to brush his nose against her hair that was still slightly damp from her wash earlier.

"I need to know what my father died for. Just like you're trying to find out what your father died for."

The two fell into silence.

"I'm sorry, Erwin. I should have told you what I was doing…I just didn't want to bother you, though."

"Look at me," Erwin said.

Taryn looked him in the eye, relieved to see warmth burning in the depths of blue instead of anger or indifference.

"No more secrets, please," he murmured. He lifted his hand and gently brushed his thumb across her cheek.

"That goes for you as well then," she said with a slight frown.

He smiled and nodded. "Agreed."

With a grateful grin, Taryn curled up against his chest and listened to his heartbeat as he stroked her hair- their favourite pastime.

"I'm sorry about your titan… 'friend' as well," he rumbled after a while.

At the reminder, Taryn sighed sadly.

"Yeah. Me too. He was the first titan that responded to me that way…he listened to me. I felt like we were connected in some way…"

"Mhmm…"

"Erwin?"

"Yes?"

Taryn gently played with the buttons on the Commander's shirt.

"Promise me you'll try your hardest to stay alive tomorrow?"

Erwin stopped playing with Taryn's hair, moving his hand to hold her face.

"Only if you make the same promise…"

She nodded. "Maybe we'll actually keep our promises this time?" she laughed lightly.

"Most definitely," he grinned.

Erwin watched in slight confusion as a light blush spread over her cheeks.

"Seal it with a kiss?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'd like nothing more," he breathed, leaning forward to press his lips against hers. She sighed happily into the kiss, eagerly welcoming the much-needed affection.

It started off like one of their normal kisses. Soft. Warm. Peaceful…

But then, something changed.

Maybe it was the knowledge that tomorrow's mission might be their last. Or maybe it was the realization that they had almost died not even an hour ago. Whatever the reason, the atmosphere in the room shifted abruptly and both participants were painfully aware of it.

As they continued kissing, Erwin's arm tightened around her waist and he managed to maneuver her onto his lap, causing her to straddle his hips. Gone were the soft kisses of before. Instead, the two deepened the kiss, anxiously trying to make up for lost time and forget the rest of the world around them.

Taryn snaked her arms around the Commander's neck, her fingers playing with the ends of his neat, blonde hair before she pulled back to look at him. Her eyes widened in surprise as she panted slightly. The Commander's blue eyes had darkened with desire, his pupils blown up as those eyes roved over her body. His lips were slightly wet and pinker than normal, matching the light flush that had settled over his neck and cheekbones. She could only imagine what she looked like at the moment.

She shifted slightly on his lap to adjust her position, inadvertently grinding her hips against his. She paused when she heard an almost silent, but unmistakable, intake of breath from the man below her. Her brown eyes sought out his icy gaze questioningly, cocking her head to the side.

"Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" she asked, slightly concerned that she had jostled one of his injuries.

The Commander couldn't stop the small smile that spread over his lips at her innocence. He had to remind himself that she had pretty much no sexual experience whatsoever especially when compared to her brother.

"No, I'm…fine," he chuckled softly. "It just felt good."

Taryn looked at him questioningly until realization dawned on her. Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned a dark red with embarrassment. While she may have not had any experience with anyone, her father had still been a doctor, so she did know the mechanics of sex and all it entailed.

"Oh," she said quietly, unable to look him in the eye.

With a grin, Erwin took her chin between his fingers and guided her lips back to his, eager to taste her again. She gave in easily, responding in kind, yet her kisses felt more cautious than before. Her arms rewound themselves around him as he moved his lips from hers, trailing them across her jawline and gently down her throat.

He heard her moan softly above him when mouth reached her pulse point beneath her jaw. Spurred on by the enticing sound, and determined to hear more, he latched on to that expanse of skin and sucked hard.

"Ah…Erwin," she gasped, entangling her fingers in his hair. Taryn allowed herself to fall headfirst into the vast ocean of pleasure running through her body. She experimentally rolled her hips against his once again and was rewarded with a vibrating groan against her neck. Hearing that uncharacteristic noise from the Commander, combined with the fact that she was slightly above him for once, given his immense height, Taryn felt very aroused and empowered.

She continued to roll her hips and moved her face back down to capture his lips in a hot, hungry kiss. Electricity ran through her body as she felt his hand trail down her side and come to a stop at her waist. She wanted that hand to move lower, but it hesitantly remained in place. They had never gone further than just kissing, mainly for a lack of time.

But now, she wanted more. And judging by the certain parts of his that were responding to her movements, he wanted more too. He shifted slightly beneath her to adjust himself.

"Taryn?" he asked in a low, strained voice, looking to her for permission.

She looked down at his face, blown away by how handsome he looked. His hair was disheveled, the golden strands lying askew across his forehead. His cheeks were flushed…and his eyes… Oh, Taryn could barely see the ice-blue rings of his eyes since his pupils were so dilated. The ragged but quiet pants coming from between his lips completed the picture of desire seated beneath her.

"K-keep g-…going," she managed to say. She wanted to feel his hand all over her body, leaving trails of fire across her skin. She wanted to drown in his touch…in his kisses…in his love.

He remained hesitant, his hand not moving.

"Are-are you sure?" he asked. She realized that he wanted her to be as sure and comfortable as she possibly could, given that she had never done anything like this before.

"Please," she whispered, raising her eyes to meet his.

That seemed to be enough for him. His eyes never leaving hers, Erwin swallowed deeply before slowly sliding his fingers under the hem of her thin shirt. Her skin prickled beneath his touch, feeling very sensitive at that moment. Soft, light gasps escaped her lips and she shivered slightly as his calloused fingertips wandered up her rib cage before brushing the skin beneath her breast. Erwin studied her every reaction with attentive eyes, recording what made her shudder and pant with pleasure.

Her eyes fluttered shut as a powerful rush of heat ran though her body before coming to a stop between her legs. It was a dull ache that she badly needed relief for.

Erwin stifled a groan as Taryn began to grind herself against him once more, his hand blindly fumbling at her shirt buttons as his mouth found the base of her throat. It was messy but hot. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Taryn was silently applauding the man's ability to unbutton her top with just one hand. She still struggled to remove her buttons with two perfectly functioning hands.

Once the buttons were all undone, Erwin removed his mouth from her neck and moved to tug her top off. But panic ran through her, and she quickly crossed her arms in front of her chest, obstructing his ability to achieve his task.

He looked at her in concern. "Are we moving to fast?" he asked softly.

Taryn blushed but shook her head. No, that wasn't it.

"Then what is it?" he asked, slightly confused.

She quickly said something, spoken so quietly that the Commander missed it. He cocked his head to the side.

"What was that?" he asked.

Taryn took a deep breath and looked to the side. "I have too many scars," she muttered sadly. "It looks ugly."

A warm, loving smile crept over the man's lips. So she was feeling insecure? A rare surge of playfulness ran through the Commander.

He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers before taking one of her hands in his. She looked at him curiously as he slowly moved her hand upwards to finally rest on the stump that used to be his other arm. Taryn should have felt disgust…possibly revulsion at the disfigured limb, but she didn't. How could she?

"Do you think I am ugly? Without my arm?" he asked, genuine curiosity reflected in his voice.

Taryn frowned. "Of course not," she responded, letting her fingertips dance lightly on the roughened skin of his arm.

"And why not? A lost limb is much different from a scar, isn't it?"

"Well…yes…but…-"

"But what?"

Taryn looked away. "But you lost that arm trying to save me and my brother. And I could never find that to be ugly. I'd love you even if you lost both arms, an eye, and some teeth," she said with a small smile.

"So what makes you think I'd feel any differently about you?" he asked, removing her fingers from his arm and turning her face back towards his.

"Well…do you?"

Erwin saw that she clearly needed more convincing. Moving slowly and gently, so as to not startle her, he began to open the front of her shirt once again, just tugging both halves to the side to reveal her bare torso. Taryn immediately attempted to pull the thin cloth back over herself, but Erwin didn't let her. Even with one hand, he was still stronger than her.

The moonlight that poured through the window illuminated every inch of her body. Her scars lit up in the dark like little beacons of light, guiding Erwin through her body's history…through her story.

Some scars were a pale, faded white colour, signifying their age. He found one on her rib cage and smiled as his finger traced it. She must have gotten it as a child. Erwin found himself highly amused as he imagined a tiny (well…tinier) Taryn, running around her hometown, dragging her little brother on adventures, or following her father around like a little lost duckling.

But as his fingers wandered further on her torso, his grin faded away. He was now encountering her newer scars- the worst of which was the large pink one that nearly bisected her perfectly. The one that ran from her chest to just under her navel. The one given to her by the beast titan.

He could feel anger and frustration coursing through him at the memory…at the thought of how helpless he had felt and how he had almost been too late to save her. Instead of acting on those feelings though, he leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to the top of the scar, just below her collarbone. He heard her inhale sharply as he followed the scar with his lips. He continued downward, through the valley between her breasts, down her stomach, and stopping right above the hem of her pants.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of her skin, letting the tip of his nose traverse the length of the scar back up her body, finally coming to a stop at her collar bone. Blue eyes met brown once more as he stared at her.

"I love every part of you, Taryn. Scars and all. Each scar just shows me that you had a brush with death, but managed to escape and return to me. How could I possibly find that to be… ugly?" he breathed.

Taryn's eyes widened at his answer, and before he could register her movement, she had mashed her mouth against his, kissing him with a hunger that he had never felt from her before. He could feel her fingers unfastening his buttons one by one, before desperately tugging his shirt off.

 **o0o0o**

She broke away from the kiss to silently admire him. Built from years of 3DMG training and use, fighting titans, and intensive training, the Commander's body was a sight to behold. Hard muscle covered every inch of his torso, not a bit of fat in sight. Small beads of sweat rolled down his chest and onto his hard abdominal muscles. Taryn felt her breath hitch as her eyes followed the tempting sight of light, wispy trail of blonde hairs that began below his navel and disappeared under the man's pants.

Erwin watched her carefully as she studied his body. He was by no manner of speaking a vain man, but he found himself quite relieved, and aroused, to see the way her eyes moved almost predatorily over his form.

Taryn felt that ache between her legs intensify greatly. She rose up a few inches from his lap, her eyes never leaving his, and began to slowly slide her pants off. Before she could go any further, he stopped her, gently grasping her wrist.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Taryn didn't even have to think twice about it. She nodded.

He released her wrist. She finished taking off her pants, flinging it to an unknown part of the room to join her long since discarded shirt. Within seconds, the Commander's pants followed. Erwin took a deep breath, his eyes roaming every inch of her body- from the smooth thighs that straddled his hips, up to the small breasts and the lean curve of her neck. She let her hair free from its normal braid, allowing it to spill over her body in its usual mess of black curls.

With a pleased hum, Erwin let his hand trail down her back, following her spine and down to the plush curve of her backside. He buried his face against her throat, kissing and nipping the expanse of skin while pushing her forward rhythmically, pressing his against her heated core.

"Ah, Erwin," she moaned at the mixture of feelings that crashed into her.

Every sound she made…every brush of skin against skin was driving the Commander mad, but he was holding back. This would be her first time and he wanted to make sure that she enjoyed it. He remembered what it was like to sleep with Marie for the first time, back when they were both young, inexperienced lovers. It had hurt for Marie their first time, mainly because neither knew what they were doing. But now, Erwin liked to think that he had a bit of a handle on how to make his partner feel good.

While pulling her down into a slow, heated kiss, Erwin let his fingers wander to the apex between her legs. He brushed the silky skin of her inner thigh, reveling in the breathy, mewling sound that escaped her lips. His finger wandered up further, lightly tracing her folds before reaching that little bundle of nerves that could bring a woman to her knees with pleasure. She whimpered loudly as he began to stroke it, feeding off of her reactions. He then slid his finger lower to her entrance and groaned upon feeling how wet she was.

He pulled back from her mouth for a few seconds.

"This may feel strange," he murmured softly. Taryn just took a deep breath and nodded, leaning forward to kiss him again.

He gently pushed his finger into her, savoring the surprised gasp that left her. It _did_ feel strange for her, but it also felt… _good_. However, the Commander wasn't done yet. While sliding his finger in and out of her, creating a delicious friction that made her arch her back and unconsciously thrust her hips forward in search of more of that feeling, he raised his thumb to stroke her again. Loud cries of pleasure flew from her lips as she began to ride his finger. He continued to press kisses to her face and neck before adding another finger.

"O-oh! Erwin, I n-need…a-ah!"

She could feel something hot coiling within her lower abdomen, begging for a release. Erwin could feel his own arousal pleading for some relief, but he ignored it for her, shifting slightly to adjust himself.

"Mmm…What do you need?" he murmured against her skin.

"Agh- I need…" she panted, rolling her hips forward. "Y-you."

He pulled away to look at her with a small quirk of his eyebrow. "Me?"

She nodded quickly.

That doe-like, yet dark look of desire in her eyes combined with the irresistible heat of her bare body rubbing up against his own snapped him into action. Unable to hold back anymore, Erwin pulled his fingers away from her and flipped their positions around.

Taryn felt the air leave her lungs as her back was slammed against the soft mattress, the large, dark silhouette of the Commander towering over her. The heavy weight of his body pressed down against her form as he situated himself between her legs. He leaned forward and hungrily kissed her. She could feel his hand lightly sliding down her thigh, only to hook around the back of her knee. Then he hitched her leg up and around his waist, prompting her to do the same with her other leg.

He pulled back to admire her for a few moments.

"If you want me to stop, just tell me," he said softly.

Taryn felt slightly nervous, but as the Commander leaned down once against to stimulate her body with his mouth, every feeling but desire flew from her mind. Her eyes fluttered shut as fire engulfed her, making that coil of heat in her nether regions grow tighter.

Then she felt something quite large sliding against her entrance (something _way_ _bigger_ than his fingers) causing her eyes to fly open in surprise. Before she could say anything, Erwin had slowly pushed himself in. A strangled cry left Taryn as she felt herself stretched beyond belief. It burned…but in a good way. Taryn wasn't sure how it was possible for pain to feel so amazing. She wasn't even sure if she was caught in the throes of pain or pleasure. Tears leaked from the corner of her eye but she didn't even notice.

"A-ah! E-Erwin!"

The two were panting loudly, getting used to each other's bodies and the feeling of ecstasy that was overwhelming them.

Erwin was suppressing the instinct to let loose and just pound relentlessly into her. She was so tight around him as her body adjusted to the intrusion…so warm… He looked down to see her splayed beneath him so openly, the light sheen of sweat covering her body and shining under the moonlight. Her black curls were spread all over the pillows, creating a dark halo over her head.

She looked heavenly. She looked like a mess. She looked like everything he wanted….everything he needed.

"Move," she rasped as she looked straight up at him.

Swallowing deeply, Erwin nodded and snapped his hips forward. A low groan filled the room as he moved in her, burying himself into her. Her arms were over her head, lithe fingers grasping the pillows for dear life as the two bodies moved in sync.

Earlier injuries forgotten, the two clashed together in a heated mess- bodies, mouths, minds. Limbs were entangled, breaths mingled, and desires shared.

There were no thoughts of tomorrow's suicide mission. No thoughts of the near death-experience from today. No thoughts of the scratches and light wounds that stung superbly as sweat dripped over them.

No thoughts about anything but the heat of the other person.

Erwin buried his head into the curve of Taryn's neck, his lips desperately seeking the salty tang of her skin as he lost himself in her.

"Ug-ugh! Harder, Erwin!" she whined as his teeth scraped her collarbone.

With an animalistic growl, Erwin flung her leg over his shoulder and drove himself deeply into her, ripping the air right out of her lungs and making her eyes roll back. He felt her fingernails dig deeply into the skin of his back, adding more scratches to the collection he already had, as she frantically tried to grab onto him for fear of falling into an abyss of pleasure.

He could feel himself unraveling quickly as the girl beneath him moaned his name continuously. Not wanting to come before her, he slid his hand between them to rub that bundle of nerves once again. She cried loudly, practically sobbing with pleasure, as she came, finally falling into that abyss, and surrendering to that feeling of absolute ecstasy.

As she clenched tightly around him, the Commander stole a few more thrusts before the heat in his lower abdomen erupted as well, pushing him completely over the edge.

Everything in his vision turned white as waves of bliss rolled over him- the first in quite a while.

When the two came back down from that devastatingly delicious high, they found themselves completely entangled in a sweaty mess. Both were panting heavily as they fought to catch their breath.

 **o0o0o**

Taryn's body felt like the limp piece of bread that Sasha liked to dip in her morning drink. She was sure that her body would be incredibly sore the next day, yet she had never felt so content. Familiar fingers ran themselves through her hair before pulling her against the Commander's solid chest.

"I love you so much," he groaned quietly as he nuzzled the side of her face.

"I love you too," she said happily.

"Do you feel okay?" he queried.

Taryn couldn't help but smile at the Commander's concern. He knew it was her first time, and she loved how gentle and careful he had been with her. She couldn't have asked for more in a lover.

"I'm fine. Better than fine really," she chuckled. The adrenaline and endorphins running through her had reduced the pain that had been exuding from her earlier injuries as well as the tender throbbing between her legs.

No wonder her brother and Mikasa liked to engage in such an act quite frequently.

"Good," he sighed. "We'll be sore tomorrow," he commented, mirroring her earlier thoughts, "so don't push yourself too hard."

"Mmm," she hummed, exhaustion washing over her and making her eyes flutter shut. A few seconds later, and she was fast asleep. The heat radiating off of the Commander's body combined with the pleasant feeling of fulfillment that had settled over her was more than enough to knock her out.

"Goodnight," he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple before wrapping his arm around her waist.

He had the girl of his affections sleeping soundly in his arm, loved and safe. At that moment, nothing, not even the threat of tomorrow's mission, could ruin the feeling of contentment that had blanketed him.

He had her…and for now, she was all he needed.


End file.
